Electronic device having a touch sensor, force sensor, and haptic actuator in an integrated module

ABSTRACT

An electronic device includes an input device. The input device has an input/output module below or within a cover defining an input surface. The input/output module detects touch and/or force inputs on the input surface, and provides haptic feedback to the cover. In some instances, a haptic device is integrally formed with a wall or structural element of a housing or enclosure of the electronic device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a non-provisional patent application of and claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/555,019, filedSep. 6, 2017 and titled “Electronic Device Having a Touch Sensor, ForceSensor, and Haptic Actuator in an Integrated Module,” the disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The described embodiments relate generally to input devices inelectronic devices. More particularly, the present embodiments relate toan input/output module that receives touch and/or force inputs andprovides localized deflection along an input surface of an electronicdevice.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices are commonplace in today's society and typicallyinclude an input device used to control or provide commands to theelectronic device. The input device may include a button, knob, key orother similar device that can be actuated by the user to provide theinput. As electronic devices become more compact, it may be difficult tointegrate traditional input devices without increasing the size or formfactor of the electronic device. Additionally, many traditional inputdevices are not configurable, which may limit the adaptability of theelectronic device.

Systems and techniques described herein are directed to an electronicdevice having an integrated module that includes a touch sensor, a forcesensor, and a haptic actuator that may form an input device or inputsurface for an electronic device.

SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein relate to an electronic device thatincludes an input/output module for receiving touch and/or force inputs,and to provide localized haptic feedback. In some embodiments, theelectronic device includes an input surface and the input/output modulereceives input on the input surface and provides haptic feedback to thesame input surface.

In an example embodiment, an electronic device includes a cover definingan input surface and an input/output module below the cover. Theinput/output module includes a substrate. A drive input electrode iscoupled to the substrate, and a sense input electrode is coupled to thesubstrate adjacent the drive input sensor. A piezoelectric element iscoupled to the substrate and configured to cause a deflection of thecover in response to an actuation signal.

The electronic device also includes a processing circuit operablycoupled to the drive input electrode and the sense input electrode. Theprocessing circuit is configured to detect a touch on the input surfacebased on a change in capacitance between the drive input electrode andthe sense input electrode. The processing circuit is further configuredto detect an amount of force of the touch based on a change inresistance of the drive input electrode or the sense input electrode.The processing circuit is also configured to cause the actuation signalin response to at least one of the detected touch or the detected amountof force.

In some cases, in response to the actuation signal, the piezoelectricelement contracts along a first direction. The contraction along thefirst direction causes the deflection in the cover along a seconddirection that is transverse to the first direction. The drive inputelectrode and the sense input electrode may be formed from apiezoresistive material deposited on the substrate in a spiral pattern.The touch may form a touch capacitance between a touching object and thesense and drive input electrodes, and the touch capacitance may causethe change in capacitance between the drive input electrode and thesense input electrode.

Another example embodiment may include a method of determining alocation and an amount of force corresponding to a touch on an inputsurface of an electronic device. The method includes the operations ofdriving a first set of input electrodes, disposed on a surface of asubstrate, with a drive signal and monitoring a second set of inputelectrodes, distinct from the first set of input sensors and disposed onthe surface of the substrate, for a capacitive response to the drivesignal and the touch.

The method further includes determining the location corresponding tothe touch based on the capacitive response, monitoring the first set ofinput electrodes for a resistive response to the drive signal and thetouch, and determining the amount of force corresponding to the touchbased on the resistive response.

In some cases, the monitoring the second set of input sensors for thecapacitive response and the monitoring the first set of input sensorsfor the resistive response occur during time periods which at leastpartially overlap. In other cases, the monitoring the second set ofinput sensors for the capacitive response occurs during a first periodof time and the monitoring the first set of input sensors for theresistive response occurs during a second, non-overlapping period oftime.

In still another example embodiment, an input device includes a coverdefining an input surface external to the input device and a substratecoupled to the cover. The substrate includes a top surface facing thecover and a bottom surface. A drive input electrode is coupled to thetop surface, and a sense input electrode is coupled to the top surfaceadjacent the drive input electrode. The input device also includes apiezoelectric element coupled to the bottom surface and configured tocause a deflection of the cover in response to an actuation signal. Aprocessing circuit is operably coupled to the drive input electrode andthe sense input electrode and configured to detect a location of a touchon the input surface and an amount of force corresponding to the touch.

In some cases, a conductive layer is deposited on the bottom surface andthe piezoelectric element is coupled to a bottom of the conductivelayer. The conductive layer may include an array of conductive pads, andthe piezoelectric element may be electrically coupled to two conductivepads. The piezoelectric element may be coupled to the array ofconductive pads by an anisotropic conductive film.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like elements.

FIG. 1 depicts an electronic device with an input device having anintegrated input/output module according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A depicts an example cross-sectional view of the electronic devicedepicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating detection of atouch.

FIG. 2B depicts an example cross-sectional view of the electronic devicedepicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating detection of aforce.

FIG. 2C depicts an example cross-sectional view of the electronic devicedepicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a hapticoutput.

FIG. 3A depicts a top view of an input device illustrating an exampletouch and/or force-sensing input electrode.

FIG. 3B depicts a cross-sectional view of the input device depicted inFIG. 3A, illustrating detection of a touch location by self-capacitance.

FIG. 3C depicts a cross-sectional view of the input device depicted inFIG. 3A, illustrating detection of an amount of force.

FIG. 4A depicts a top view of an input device illustrating an examplepair of touch and/or force-sensing input electrodes.

FIG. 4B depicts a cross-sectional view of the input device depicted inFIG. 4A, illustrating detection of a touch location by mutualcapacitance.

FIG. 4C depicts a cross-sectional view of the input device depicted inFIG. 4A, illustrating detection of an amount of force.

FIG. 5A depicts an example cross-sectional view of the electronic devicedepicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a firstexample input/output module.

FIG. 5B depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating asecond example input/output module.

FIG. 5C depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a thirdexample input/output module.

FIG. 5D depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating afourth example input/output module.

FIG. 5E depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a fifthexample input/output module.

FIG. 5F depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a sixthexample input/output module.

FIG. 6A depicts an example cross-sectional view of an input/outputmodule illustrating the deposition of input electrodes on a top surfaceof a substrate and haptic actuators on a bottom surface of thesubstrate.

FIG. 6B depicts an example top view of input electrodes deposited on thetop surface of the substrate.

FIG. 6C depicts an example bottom view of a conducting layer for hapticactuators, deposited on the bottom surface of the substrate.

FIG. 7A depicts an example perspective view of a pair of inputelectrodes disposed adjacent one another over a substrate.

FIG. 7B depicts another example perspective view of a pair of inputelectrodes disposed above and below one another.

FIG. 8A depicts another electronic device with an input region having anintegrated input/output module according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 8B depicts an example cross-sectional view of the electronic devicedepicted in FIG. 8A, taken along section B-B, illustrating a firstexample input/output module.

FIG. 8C depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 8A, taken along section B-B, illustrating asecond example input/output module.

FIG. 9 depicts an enclosure for an electronic device having aninput/output module disposed at least partially within a portion of theenclosure.

FIG. 10A depicts an example partial cross-sectional view of theelectronic device depicted in FIG. 9, taken along section C-C.

FIG. 10B depicts an example view of input electrodes deposited on aninterior surface of a wall, taken through section D-D of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 10C depicts another example partial cross-sectional view of theelectronic device depicted in FIG. 9, taken along section C-C.

FIG. 10D depicts an example partial cross-sectional view showing examplepatterns of input electrodes.

FIG. 11 depicts an example wearable electronic device that mayincorporate an input/output module as described herein.

FIG. 12 depicts an example input device that may incorporate aninput/output module as described herein.

FIG. 13 depicts an example method for detecting a location of a touchand an amount of force corresponding to the touch with a single module.

FIG. 14 depicts another example method for detecting a location of atouch and an amount of force corresponding to the touch with a singlemodule.

FIG. 15 depicts example components of an electronic device in accordancewith the embodiments described herein.

The use of cross-hatching or shading in the accompanying figures isgenerally provided to clarify the boundaries between adjacent elementsand also to facilitate legibility of the figures. Accordingly, neitherthe presence nor the absence of cross-hatching or shading conveys orindicates any preference or requirement for particular materials,material properties, element proportions, element dimensions,commonalities of similarly illustrated elements, or any othercharacteristic, attribute, or property for any element illustrated inthe accompanying figures.

Additionally, it should be understood that the proportions anddimensions (either relative or absolute) of the various features andelements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries,separations, and positional relationships presented therebetween, areprovided in the accompanying figures merely to facilitate anunderstanding of the various embodiments described herein and,accordingly, may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale,and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for anillustrated embodiment to the exclusion of embodiments described withreference thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred implementation. To the contrary, the described embodimentsare intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents ascan be included within the spirit and scope of the disclosure and asdefined by the appended claims.

The following disclosure relates to an electronic device with aninput/output module that receives touch and/or force inputs and provideslocalized deflection at a surface. An electronic device may include anenclosure component defining an input surface for receiving user inputsand outputting feedback to the user. Example enclosure componentsinclude a cover (e.g., a cover sheet, a trackpad cover, and the like), awall of an enclosure (e.g., a sidewall or other wall), and the like.Example input surfaces include a trackpad, a touch screen, a surface ofa wall of a device enclosure, or another exterior surface of anenclosure of an electronic device. Example electronic devices include apersonal computer, a notebook or laptop computer, a tablet, a smartphone, a watch, a case for an electronic device, a home automationdevice, and so on.

Sensors may be placed on, within, or below the enclosure component toreceive various types of inputs. For example, a touch sensor may detectan object approaching or in contact with the input surface. By includingan array of touch sensors, the electronic device may determine thelocation of the object, and in some cases of multiple objects, relativeto the input surface.

As another example, a force sensor may detect a force applied to theenclosure component. Based on the output of the force sensor, theelectronic device may approximate, measure, or otherwise determine anamount of the force applied to the cover. With an array of forcesensors, the electronic device may determine the locations and amountsof multiple forces applied to the cover.

The electronic device may also provide haptic output to a user throughthe enclosure component. Haptic output is generated through theproduction of mechanical movement, vibrations, and/or force. In someembodiments, the haptic output can be created based on an input command(e.g., one or more touch and/or force inputs), a simulation, anapplication, or a system state. When the haptic output is applied to theenclosure component, a user can detect or feel the haptic output andperceive the haptic output as localized haptic feedback. The electronicdevice may include one or more haptic devices configured to providehaptic feedback.

In some embodiments, an integrated touch input, force input, and hapticfeedback module (an “input/output module”) is provided on, within, orbelow the enclosure component of an electronic device. In someembodiments, one or more components of the input/output module areintegrally formed with the enclosure component. As used herein,“integrally formed with” may be used to refer to defining or forming aunitary structure. For example, one or more input electrodes and/orhaptic devices may be integrally formed with an enclosure component,such as a ceramic enclosure of an electronic device. Integrally forminga haptic actuator with an enclosure component (e.g., on or within a wallof an enclosure) allows for localized haptic feedback (e.g., localizeddeflection of the wall) to be produced at select locations along anexterior surface of the enclosure. Similarly, integrally forming aninput electrode within an enclosure component allows for localized touchinput and force input detection at select locations along the exteriorsurface of the enclosure. In some embodiments, localized haptic feedbackis produced in response to detecting touch and/or force input along theexterior surface of the enclosure.

In various embodiments, one or more components of the input/outputmodule and/or other components of the electronic device may beintegrally formed with an enclosure component by co-firing orco-sintering. As used herein, “co-firing” may be used to refer to anyprocess by which one or more components or materials are fired in a kilnor otherwise heated to fuse or sinter the materials at the same time.For the purposes of the following discussion, “co-firing” may be used torefer to a process in which two materials, which are in a green,partially sintered, pre-sintered state are heated or sintered togetherfor some period of time.

This input/output module may include one or more input electrodes, whichare responsive to both touch and force inputs. That is, an array ofinput electrodes may be used to determine a location of a touch on theinput surface and an amount (and location) of force applied to thecover. In some embodiments, an input electrode may be a strain gauge,having a series of parallel conductive traces, for example over asubstrate, on a surface of the cover, or within the cover. Theconductive traces may be formed in a variety of patterns, including aspiral pattern. As a strain gauge, the input electrode may exhibit achange in resistance in response to force or strain. In addition, theconductive material may exhibit a change in capacitance in response tothe approach of a finger or other object.

Accordingly, an array of input electrodes may function as both touch andforce sensors in a single layer, detecting a location of a touch on theinput surface and an amount of force applied to the cover. In someembodiments, the input electrodes may be deposited on or otherwiseattached to a top surface of a substrate, such as a glass or polyimidesubstrate. In some embodiments, the input electrodes may be deposited onor within, or otherwise attached to the cover.

The input/output module may also include one or more haptic actuatorsdeposited on, within, or otherwise attached to a bottom surface of thesubstrate or the cover. A haptic actuator may provide localized hapticfeedback to the cover. In an example embodiment, a haptic actuator maybe a piezoelectric haptic actuator, having a piezoelectric element whichcontracts and/or expands in response to application of a voltage acrossthe piezoelectric element.

When the haptic actuator is oriented such that an axis of elongationand/or contraction is parallel to an exterior surface of the cover(e.g., disposed within or on the cover or attached to the bottom surfaceof the substrate), an actuating signal may cause the piezoelectricelement to contract along the axis of elongation and/or contraction(e.g., a first direction parallel to the bottom surface). Because thepiezoelectric element is fixed with respect to the cover and/or thesubstrate, the piezoelectric element may bend and deflect along a seconddirection transverse to the axis of elongation and/or contraction, whichmay cause a deflection (e.g., a vertical deflection) of the substrate.The deflection of the substrate may be transferred to the cover. Thedeflection in the cover may be perceived as haptic feedback by a userthrough a finger or other body part in contact with the input surface.

In certain embodiments, the input/output module is disposed below anopaque cover (e.g., a cover including an opaque layer, such as an inklayer) defining an input surface, such as a trackpad of a laptop. Thematerials of the input/output module may be optically opaque materials.In other embodiments, the input/output module is disposed below atransparent cover defining an input surface, such as a cover of acellular telephone or tablet device. In some examples, the input/outputmodule may be placed between the cover and a display, and theinput/output module may be formed from optically transparent materials.In other examples, the input/output module may be placed below thedisplay and formed from opaque materials.

These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to FIGS.1-11. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that thedetailed description given herein with respect to these figures is forexplanatory purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1 depicts an electronic device with an input device having anintegrated input/output module according to the present disclosure. Insome embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 1, the electronic device 100 is aportable electronic device, specifically a laptop computer. Otherembodiments may incorporate the input/output module into another type ofportable electronic device, such as a mobile electronic device (seeFIGS. 8A-8C). In other examples, an electronic device may include asmart phone, a wearable computing device, a digital music player, anautomotive device, a kiosk, a stand-alone touch screen display, a mouse,a keyboard, and other types of electronic devices that are configured toreceive touch and/or force inputs as well as provide haptic feedback toa user.

The electronic device 100 may include an enclosure 101 housing akeyboard 104 and a display 102. The electronic device 100 may alsoinclude an input device 108, such as a trackpad. The input device 108may be positioned along a side of the keyboard 104. For example, asshown in FIG. 1, the keyboard 104 may be positioned between the inputdevice 108 and a connection interface between the enclosure 101 and thedisplay 102. The input device 108 may include a cover defining an inputsurface, and an input/output module may be incorporated below the cover.The input/output module may detect touch inputs and force inputs on theinput surface, and additionally may provide haptic feedback to thecover. Examples of the input device 108 and the features of theinput/output module are further depicted below with respect to FIGS.2A-7B, 9, and 10.

The display 102 may function as both an input device and an outputdevice. For example, the display 102 may output images, graphics, text,and the like to a user. The display 102 may also act as a touch inputdevice that detects and measures a location of a touch input on thedisplay 102, via touch-sensing circuitry. The electronic device 100 mayalso include one or more force sensors that detect and/or measure anamount of force exerted on the display 102.

The keyboard 104 of the electronic device 100 includes an array of keysor buttons (e.g., movable input components). Each of the keys maycorrespond to a particular input. The keyboard 104 may also include aframe or key web. The frame may define an aperture through which eachkey protrudes, such that each of the array of keys is at least partiallypositioned within the frame and at least partially without the frame.The frame also separates one key from an adjacent key and/or anenclosure of the electronic device 100.

In many cases, the electronic device 100 can also include a processor,memory, power supply and/or battery, network connections, sensors,input/output ports, acoustic components, haptic components, digitaland/or analog circuits for performing and/or coordinating tasks of theelectronic device 100, and so on. For simplicity of illustration, theelectronic device 100 is depicted in FIG. 1 without many of thesecomponents, each of which may be included, partially and/or entirely,within the enclosure 101. Examples of such components are describedbelow with respect to FIG. 11.

While this disclosure is generally described with respect to a trackpad,it should be understood that this is only one example embodiment. Anintegrated input/output module may be incorporated in other regions of adevice to provide different functionality. For example, the input/outputmodule may extend over a keyboard region of the electronic device 100(e.g., in place of all or a portion of the keyboard 104) and may be usedto define a virtual or soft keyboard. The input/output module may allowfor an adaptable key arrangement and may include configurable oradaptable glyphs and markings to designate the location of an array ofvirtual or configurable key regions.

In another example, the input/output module forms an input surface overthe display. This may enable a touch- and force-sensitive touch screenproviding localized haptic output. The input/output module may beincorporated in a similar manner as described below with respect toFIGS. 8A-8C.

In still another example, the input/output module may form a portion ofa key region, such as a function row above a physical keyboard. Theinput/output module may define a set of dynamically adjustable inputregions. A display or other means may provide a visual representation(e.g., through adaptable glyphs and markings) to designate the locationof virtual keys or input regions defined by the input/output module.

In still another example, the input/output module may be located on orwithin a portion of a device enclosure, such as a wall of a deviceenclosure, as discussed below with respect to FIGS. 9-11.

As depicted in FIGS. 2A-2C, an input/output module may be attached to acover of an electronic device. The input/output module detects touchand/or force inputs on the cover, and outputs localized haptic feedbackto the cover. While in the following examples the term “cover” may referto a cover for a trackpad, it should be understood that the term “cover”may also refer to a portion of an enclosure (such as the enclosure 101depicted in FIG. 1).

FIG. 2A depicts an example cross-sectional view of the electronic devicedepicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating detection of atouch location. As depicted in FIG. 2A, an input device 208 includes acover 210 defining an input surface, and an input/output module 205 isattached or otherwise coupled to the cover 210. The input/output module205 may be attached to the cover 210 through an appropriate means, suchas depicted in FIGS. 5A-5F, 8B, and 8C.

As an object, such as a finger 212 approaches and/or comes in contactwith the cover 210, the input/output module 205 may detect the touch. Inan example embodiment, the input/output module 205 may include an inputelectrode which detects the touch as a change in capacitance. The inputelectrode may operate through self-capacitance (as depicted in FIGS.3A-3C) or through mutual capacitance (as depicted in FIGS. 4A-4C). Theinput electrode may be coupled to processing circuitry to determine thepresence and location of the finger 212 on the input surface of thecover 210.

In addition, as depicted in FIG. 2B, the finger 212 or other object mayexert force or pressure on the cover 210. This force may deflect thecover 210, which may in turn deflect the input/output module 205. As theinput/output module 205 is deflected, an input electrode may have anon-binary response to the deflection, which response corresponds to andindicates the amount of force applied to the cover 210.

In an example embodiment, the input electrode may be a strain gaugewhich undergoes a change in resistance in response to deflection of theinput/output module 205. The input electrode may be coupled toprocessing circuitry to estimate or otherwise determine the amount offorce applied to the cover 210 based on the resistive response. In otherembodiments, an input electrode may be otherwise responsive to strain.For example, the input electrode may be formed from a piezoresistive,piezoelectric, or similar material having an electrical property thatchanges in response to stress, strain, and/or deflection.

As depicted in FIG. 2C, the input/output module 205 may also providelocalized haptic feedback to the cover 210. The input/output module 205may include a haptic actuator which is coupled to processing circuitryand/or a signal generator. The processing circuitry and/or signalgenerator may actuate the haptic actuator by applying an electricalsignal to the haptic actuator.

When an electrical signal is applied to the haptic actuator, the hapticactuator may cause the input/output module 205 to deflect upward. Forexample, the haptic actuator may include a piezoelectric element with apair of electrodes coupled to opposing sides of the piezoelectricelement (e.g., a top and bottom, which may be parallel to the cover210). When an electrical signal is applied to the piezoelectric element,the piezoelectric element may contract along a first direction parallelto the electrodes. With the piezoelectric element coupled to asubstrate, the contraction may cause the piezoelectric element to bendalong a second direction transverse to the first direction. This bendingof the piezoelectric element may cause the input/output module 205 towhich the piezoelectric element is coupled to deflect upward toward thecover 210.

As the input/output module 205 deflects upward, it may cause one or moresections of the cover 210 to deflect or move to provide localized hapticfeedback to the user. In particular, the cover 210 bends or deflects ata location that substantially corresponds to the location of the hapticactuator. This deflection of the cover 210 may be felt or otherwiseperceived by a user through a finger 212 in contact with the cover 210.

The haptic actuator may be actuated in response to a variety of stimuli,such as a touch input, a force input, the operation of software executedby the processing circuitry, and so on. For example, the input/outputmodule 205 may cause haptic feedback at the cover 210 in response to anamount of force exerted on the cover 210 exceeding a threshold (e.g.,similar to a button press). In another example, software executed by theprocessing circuitry may cause the input/output module 205 to providehaptic feedback in response to events which occur during execution ofthe software.

It should be understood that FIGS. 2A-2C present cross-sectional viewswhich may omit certain components for clarity. For example, as depictedin FIGS. 5A-5F, 8B, and 8C, the input/output module 205 may includemultiple layers and components. One or more additional layers, such asan adhesive layer, may also be included between the cover 210 and theinput/output module 205. The input device and/or the electronic devicemay also include additional components and structures, such as thecomponents depicted in FIG. 11, support structures, and the like.

Turning to FIGS. 3A-3C, an input electrode of the input/output modulemay include a strain gauge which operates to detect touch throughself-capacitance, and force may be detected through a resistive strainresponse of the input electrode. FIG. 3A is a top view of an inputdevice, while FIGS. 3B and 3C are cross-sectional views of the inputdevice.

FIG. 3A depicts a top view of an input device illustrating an exampletouch and/or force-sensing input electrode. The input device 308 may beany input device configured to detect touch and/or force inputs, such asthe trackpad depicted in FIG. 1. The input device 308 includes a cover310 defining an input surface, and an input electrode 306 positionedbelow the cover 310. A finger 312 or other object may approach orcontact the input surface of the cover 310.

As depicted in FIG. 3A, in some embodiments the input electrode 306 maybe a strain gauge formed from a conductive material patterned into aspiral pattern, which includes a set of parallel lines. In otherembodiments, the input electrode 306 may be any type of sensor whichresponds to touch inputs and strain inputs, in which touch and strainmay be distinguished. For example, the input electrode 306 may be formedfrom a piezoresistive, piezoelectric, or similar material having anelectrical property (e.g., a resistance or resistivity) that changes inresponse to stress, strain, and/or deflection.

Turning to FIG. 3B, in some embodiments the input electrode 306 mayoperate to detect touch through self-capacitance. Thus, the conductivematerial of the input electrode 306 may be energized (e.g., driven) withan alternating current or direct current signal (e.g., from a signalgenerator). When a user's finger 312 approaches or comes in contact withthe cover 310, a touch capacitance C may be formed between the finger312 and the input electrode 306. The touch capacitance C formed betweenthe finger 412 and the input electrode 306 (or change in capacitance)may be detected by processing circuitry coupled to the input electrode306, which may indicate a touch input to the input surface of the cover310.

As depicted in FIG. 3C, a force F applied to the cover 310 may bedetected through the same input electrode 306. The input electrode 306may be energized (e.g., driven) with an alternating current or directcurrent signal (e.g., from a signal generator). As a finger 312 or otherobject exerts a force F on the cover 310, the cover 310 may deflect andcause a strain on the input electrode 306. For example, the geometry ofthe conductive traces of the input electrode 306 may change in responseto the cover 310 deflection (e.g., the traces may be stretched and/orcompressed). This change in geometry may result in a change inresistance through the input electrode 306, which may be detected byprocessing circuitry coupled to the input electrode 306. The processingcircuitry may further estimate or otherwise determine a non-binaryamount of force applied to the cover 310 based on the change inresistance.

A “non-binary” amount of force or force input signal is one that may beregistered as more than two possible values. Put another way, non-binaryforce input signals may have intermediate values, outputs, or statesother than zero and a maximum (or off and on). Such non-binary signalsmay have a series of values, which may be discrete or continuous, eachcorresponding to a variety of input forces beyond binary options. Statedin another way, the force signal may vary in magnitude in accordancewith a force that is applied to the cover.

In some embodiments, the input electrode 306 may be energized with anelectrical signal (e.g., driven with a drive signal), and touch inputsmay be detected or measured as a capacitive response to the signal whileforce inputs may be detected or measured as a resistive response to thesignal. In other embodiments, touch and/or force sensing may be timemultiplexed. The input electrode 306 may be driven with a first signal(e.g., a signal having a first waveform, which may include A/C and/orD/C components, and may have a given amplitude, shape, and/or frequency)for a first period of time, and a touch input may be measured as acapacitive response to the first signal. The input electrode 306 may bedriven with a second signal (e.g., a signal having a second waveform,which may include A/C and/or D/C components, and may have a givenamplitude, shape, and/or frequency) for a second period of time, and aforce input may be measured as a resistive response to the secondsignal. In still other embodiments, a same signal may be used to drivethe input electrode 306, but the touch response may be measured during afirst period of time and the force response may be measured during asecond period of time.

Turning to FIGS. 4A-4C, two or more input electrodes of the input/outputmodule may include strain gauges. The input electrodes may operate todetect touch through mutual capacitance between the input electrodes,and force may be detected through a resistive strain response of theinput electrodes.

FIG. 4A depicts a top view of an input device illustrating an examplepair of touch and/or force-sensing input electrodes. The input device408 may be any input device configured to detect touch and/or forceinputs, such as the trackpad depicted in FIG. 1. The input device 408includes a cover 410 defining an input surface, and input electrodes 406a, 406 b positioned below the cover 410. A finger 412 or other objectmay approach or contact the input surface of the cover 410.

Turning to FIG. 4B, in some embodiments the input electrode may operateto detect touch through mutual capacitance. Thus, a first inputelectrode, designated a drive input electrode 406 a, may be driven withan alternating current or direct current signal (e.g., from a signalgenerator). A cross-capacitance C₁ may be formed between the drive inputelectrode 406 a and a second input electrode adjacent the drive inputelectrode 406 a, designated a sense input electrode 406 b, in responseto the drive signal. When a user's finger 412 approaches or comes incontact with the cover 410, a touch capacitance C₂ may be formed betweenthe finger 412 and the drive input electrode 406 a and/or the senseinput electrode 406 b. The touch capacitance C₂ may in turn alter thecross-capacitance C₁.

Processing circuitry may be coupled to the drive input electrode 406 aand/or sense input electrode 406 b to detect the change in thecross-capacitance C₁. In some embodiments, processing circuitry maymonitor the sense input electrode 406 b for a change in capacitancewhich may indicate a touch input to the input surface of the cover 410.In other embodiments, processing circuitry may monitor a capacitanceacross the drive input electrode 406 a and the sense input electrode 406b, or by a similar technique.

As depicted in FIG. 4C, a force F applied to the cover 410 may bedetected through one or both of the drive input electrode 406 a and thesense input electrode 406 b. For example, the drive input electrode 406a and the sense input electrode 406 b may each be driven with analternating current or direct current signal (e.g., from a signalgenerator). As a finger 412 or other object exerts a force F on thecover 410, the cover 410 may deflect and cause a strain on the inputelectrodes 406 a, 406 b. Processing circuitry may monitor the driveinput electrode 406 a and the sense input electrode 406 b for a changein resistance, corresponding to a non-binary force applied to the cover410. In other embodiments, the only one of the drive input electrode 406a and the sense input electrode 406 b may be driven and monitored for achange in resistance.

Turning to FIGS. 5A-5F, example cross-sections of an input deviceaccording to the present disclosure are illustrated. Each exampleincludes in input/output module which operates as described above withrespect to FIGS. 1-4C.

FIG. 5A depicts an example cross-sectional view of the electronic devicedepicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a firstexample input/output module. An input device 508 includes a cover 510and an input/output module 505 a coupled to the cover 510.

Generally, the cover 510 is formed from a dielectric material, such asglass, plastic, acrylic, and other non-conductive materials. In somecases, the cover may be formed from an opaque material and/or include anopaque layer, such as an ink layer. In other cases, the cover 510 may betransparent or partially transparent. While in these examples the term“cover” may refer to a cover for a trackpad, it should be understoodthat the term “cover” may also refer to a portion of an enclosure (suchas the enclosure 101 depicted in FIG. 1). For example, the cover 510 mayenclose a virtual keyboard having dynamically adjustable input regionsdefined by the input/output module 505 a, a sidewall of an electronicdevice, or the like.

The cover 510 may be coupled to the input/output module 505 a by anadhesive layer 540. The adhesive layer 540 may include apressure-sensitive adhesive, or another adhesive which couples the cover510 to the input/output module 505 a such that a deflection in the cover510 is transferred through the adhesive layer 540 to the input/outputmodule 505 a, and a deflection of the input/output module 505 a istransferred to the cover 510.

The input/output module 505 a includes a substrate 516 on which inputelectrodes 506 and haptic actuators 521 a are disposed. The substrate516 may include materials such as, but not limited to: plastic, ceramic,glass, polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, silicone, fiber composite,or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the substrate 516 mayprovide structural rigidity for the input electrodes 506 and/or astiffener to improve performance of the haptic actuators 521 a.

One or more input electrodes 506 may be deposited on a top surface(e.g., the surface facing the cover 510) of the substrate 516. Eachinput electrode 506 may be formed from a conductive material which isalso responsive to strain, formed with a set of conductive tracesarranged in a doubled-back spiral shape, such as depicted below withrespect to FIGS. 6B, 7A, and 7B. In other embodiments, the shape orgeometry of an input electrode 506 may vary. For example, an inputelectrode 506 may be formed from a set of traces arranged in a forked orcomb-shaped configuration, a linear serpentine shape, a radialserpentine shape, a spiral shape, and so on.

The conductive material of the input electrodes 506 may includematerials such as, but not limited to: gold, copper, copper-nickelalloy, copper-nickel-iron alloy, copper-nickel-manganese-iron alloy,copper-nickel-manganese alloy, nickel-chrome alloy, chromium nitride, acomposite nanowire structure, a composite carbon structure, graphene,nanotube, constantan, karma, silicon, polysilicon, gallium alloy,isoelastic alloy, and so on. The conductive material of the inputelectrodes 506 may be formed or deposited on a surface using a suitabledisposition technique such as, but not limited to: vapor deposition,sputtering, printing, roll-to-roll processing, gravure, pick and place,adhesive, mask-and-etch, and so on.

Localized haptic feedback may be provided by means of the one or morehaptic actuators 521 a coupled to a bottom surface of the substrate 516,opposite the input electrodes 506. A haptic actuator 521 a may include apiezoelectric element 522 a, a top electrode 518 a, and a bottomelectrode 524 a. The top electrode 518 a (e.g., a conductive pad) and aconductive pad 520 a may be formed from a conductive material depositedon the bottom surface of the substrate 516. The bottom electrode 524 amay wrap around a portion of the piezoelectric element and couple to theconductive pad 520 a.

The top electrode 518 a and the conductive pad 520 a may be disposed ona common layer, which may additionally include signal lines to transmitactuation signals to each haptic actuator 521 a (e.g., such as depictedbelow with respect to FIG. 6C). Accordingly, a potential may be appliedacross the piezoelectric element 522 a—a reference voltage may beprovided to the bottom electrode 524 a through the conductive pad 520 a;and an actuation signal may be provided to the top electrode 518 a. Insome embodiments, the top electrode 518 a may be coupled to a referencevoltage and the bottom electrode 524 a may be coupled to an actuationsignal.

Each haptic actuator 521 a can be selectively activated in theembodiment shown in FIG. 5A. In particular, the bottom electrode 524 acan provide a reference voltage to a haptic actuator 521 a, while thetop electrode 518 a can apply an electrical signal across eachindividual piezoelectric element 522 a independently of the otherpiezoelectric elements 522 a.

When a voltage is applied across the piezoelectric element 522 a, thevoltage may induce the piezoelectric element 522 a to expand or contractin a direction or plane substantially parallel to the substrate 516. Forexample, the properties of the piezoelectric element 522 a may cause thepiezoelectric element 522 a to expand or contract along a planesubstantially parallel to the substrate when electrodes applying thevoltage are placed on a top surface and bottom surface of thepiezoelectric element 522 a parallel to the substrate.

Because the top surface of the piezoelectric element 522 a is attachedto the substrate 516, as the piezoelectric element 522 a contracts alongthe plane parallel to the substrate, the piezoelectric element 522 a maybow and deflect in a direction orthogonal to the substrate 516, that isupward toward the cover 510, such as depicted above with respect to FIG.2C. The haptic feedback may be localized to a portion of the cover 510above the haptic actuator 521 a.

The piezoelectric element 522 a may be formed from an appropriatepiezoelectric material, such as potassium-based ceramics (e.g.,potassium-sodium niobate, potassium niobate), lead-based ceramics (e.g.,PZT, lead titanate), quartz, bismuth ferrite, and other suitablepiezoelectric materials. The top electrode 518 a, the bottom electrode524 a, and the conductive pad 520 a are typically formed from metal or ametal alloy such as silver, silver ink, copper, copper-nickel alloy, andso on. In other embodiments, other conductive materials can be used.

In some embodiments, the top electrode 518 a and the conductive pad 520a are formed or deposited directly on the substrate 516 using a suitabledisposition technique such as, but not limited to: vapor deposition,sputtering, printing, roll-to-roll processing, gravure, pick and place,adhesive, mask-and-etch, and so on. The piezoelectric element 522 a maybe similarly formed directly on the top electrode 518 a and theconductive pad 520 a, and the bottom electrode 524 a may be formeddirectly on the piezoelectric element 522 a and the conductive pad 520a.

While the haptic actuator 521 a has been described with respect to apiezoelectric actuator, different types of haptic actuators 521 a can beused in other embodiments. For example, in one embodiment one or moreelectromagnetic actuators can be disposed below the substrate 516 andused to produce localized deflection of the cover 510. Alternatively,one or more piston actuators may be disposed below the cover 510, and soon.

The relative position of the various layers described above may changedepending on the embodiment. Some layers, such as the adhesive layer540, may be omitted in other embodiments. Other layers, such as thecover 510 and the substrate 516, may not be uniform layers of singlematerials, but may include additional layers, coatings, and/or be formedfrom composite materials. The input device 508 and/or electronic devicemay include additional layers and components, such as processingcircuitry, a signal generator, a battery, etc., which have been omittedfrom FIGS. 5A-5F for clarity.

FIG. 5B depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating asecond example input/output module. As depicted in FIG. 5B, in someembodiments similar to FIG. 5A a haptic actuator 521 b in theinput/output module 505 b may be selectively actuated through signalstransmitted on two layers.

For example, the top electrode 518 b may be deposited on the bottomsurface of the substrate 516. Signal lines may also be deposited on thebottom surface of the substrate 516 to transmit actuation signals toeach top electrode 518 b of a haptic actuator 521 b. A piezoelectricelement 522 b be formed directly on the top electrode 518 b, and thebottom electrode 524 b may be formed on the piezoelectric element 522 b.

The input device 508 may also include a circuit layer 526 b whichincludes signal lines to provide a common reference voltage to eachbottom electrode 524 b of a haptic actuator 521 b. The circuit layer 526b may be a flexible printed circuit or a flexible printed circuit board.The circuit layer 526 b can be made from any number of suitablematerials, such as polyimide or polyethylene terephthalate, withconductive traces for signal lines formed from materials such as copper,silver, aluminum, and so on.

The circuit layer 526 b may be coupled to each haptic actuator 521 b ina manner that electrically couples a signal line or common referencevoltage plate on the circuit layer 526 b to each bottom electrode 524 b.For example, the circuit layer 526 b may be coupled to each hapticactuator 521 b by an adhesive layer, such as an isotropic or anisotropicconductive film, by soldering, and other appropriate techniques.

Accordingly, a potential may be applied across the piezoelectric element522 b, with a common reference voltage provided to each bottom electrode524 b and a signal line provided to each top electrode 518 b. A topelectrode 518 b may receive an actuation signal, and the voltage acrossthe piezoelectric element 522 b may cause the haptic actuator 521 b todeflect, which in turn provides localized haptic feedback at the cover510.

In some embodiments, the top electrodes 518 b may form a commonreference layer, and actuation signals may be transmitted to the bottomelectrodes 524 b. In such cases, the top electrodes 518 b may be formedas an interconnected conductive layer (partially or entirely formed ofconductive material), while the circuit layer 526 b may include separatesignal lines to provide actuation signals to each bottom electrode 524b.

FIG. 5C depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a thirdexample input/output module. As depicted in FIG. 5C, in some embodimentssimilar to FIG. 5A a haptic actuator 521 c in the input/output module505 c may be formed with a dielectric 530 separating the conductive pad520 c from the top electrode 518 c.

For example, a top electrode 518 c and a conductive pad 520 c may bedisposed on a common layer, which may additionally include signal linesto transmit actuation signals to each haptic actuator 521 c (e.g., suchas depicted below with respect to FIG. 6C). A dielectric 530 may bedeposited between the conductive pad 520 c and the top electrode 518 cto electrically isolate the conductive pad 520 c from the top electrode518 c. The dielectric 530 further isolates the top electrode 518 c andthe bottom electrode 524 c.

The dielectric 530 may be formed from silicon dioxide, hafnium oxide,tantalum oxide, nanopourous silica, hydrogensilsesquioxanes,polytetrafluoethylene, silicon oxyflouride, or another suitabledielectric material. The dielectric 530 may be formed or deposited usinga suitable disposition technique such as, but not limited to: vapordeposition, sputtering, printing, roll-to-roll processing, gravure, pickand place, adhesive, mask-and-etch, and so on.

A connecting line 528 c may be deposited over the dielectric 530,electrically coupling the conductive pad 520 c to the bottom electrode524 c. The connecting line 528 c may be formed from a similar materialand using a similar technique as described above with respect to theconductive pad 520 c and the top electrode 518 c. A potential may beapplied across the piezoelectric element 522 c—a reference voltage maybe provided to the bottom electrode 524 c through the conductive pad 520c and the connecting line 528 c; and an actuation signal may be providedto the top electrode 518 c. In some embodiments, the top electrode 518 cmay be coupled to a reference voltage and the bottom electrode 524 c maybe coupled to an actuation signal.

FIG. 5D depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating afourth example input/output module. As depicted in FIG. 5D, in someembodiments similar to FIG. 5A a haptic actuator 521 d in theinput/output module 505 d may be formed by interleaving electrodes 525d, 519 d in the piezoelectric element 522 d.

By forming a haptic actuator 521 d with interleaving electrodes 525 d,519 d, the piezoelectric element 522 d may operate effectively as twostacked piezoelectric elements 522 d, which may improve the performanceof the haptic actuator 521 d when actuated. The top electrode 518 d maybe formed on the substrate 516, less than the entire width of thepiezoelectric element 522 d, and may be connected to signal linesdisposed on the substrate 516.

The material of the piezoelectric element 522 d may be deposited overthe top electrode 518 d, and an intermediate bottom electrode 525 d maybe formed on the piezoelectric material, spanning less than the entirewidth of the piezoelectric element 522 d. Additional material of thepiezoelectric element 522 d may be deposited on the intermediate bottomelectrode 525 d, and an intermediate top electrode 519 d may bedeposited on the piezoelectric material, spanning less than the entirewidth of the piezoelectric element 522 d.

Additional material of the piezoelectric element 522 d may be depositedon the intermediate top electrode 519 d. The bottom electrode 524 d maybe deposited over the piezoelectric element 522 d. A bottom connectingline 528 d may electrically connect the intermediate bottom electrode525 d and the bottom electrode 524 d to signal lines disposed on thesubstrate 516. A top connecting line 532 d may electrically connect theintermediate top electrode 519 d to the top electrode 518 d.

Accordingly, the haptic actuator 521 d may be effectively two actuators,with the top electrode 518 d and the intermediate bottom electrode 525 dforming a first actuator. The intermediate top electrode 519 d and thebottom electrode 524 d form a second electrode. A potential may beapplied across the portions of the piezoelectric element 522 d betweenthe electrodes. For example, a reference voltage may be provided to theintermediate bottom electrode 525 d and the bottom electrode 524 dthrough the bottom connecting line 528 d; and an actuation signal may beprovided to the top electrode 518 d and the intermediate top electrode519 d through the top connecting line 532 d. In some embodiments, thetop electrode 518 d and intermediate top electrode 519 d may be coupledto a reference voltage and the intermediate bottom electrode 525 d andthe bottom electrode 524 d may be coupled to an actuation signal.

FIG. 5E depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a fifthexample input/output module. As depicted in FIG. 5E, in some embodimentssimilar to FIG. 5A a haptic actuator 521 e may be separately formed andcoupled to the input/output module 505 e.

For example, the haptic actuator 521 e may be formed by a separateprocess rather than being deposited onto the substrate 516. A voltagemay be applied across the piezoelectric element 522 e via electrodes 518e, 524 e formed on opposing surfaces of the piezoelectric element 522 e.A top electrode 518 e is formed on a top surface of the piezoelectricelement 522 e, while a bottom electrode 524 e is formed on a bottomsurface of the piezoelectric element 522 e. In many embodiments, thebottom electrode 524 e wraps around the piezoelectric element 522 e suchthat a portion of the second electrode is disposed on the top surface ofthe piezoelectric element 522 e. In this manner, a reference voltage andactuation signal may be provided at a same interface.

The electrodes 518 e, 524 e may be formed from a suitable conductivematerial, such as metal (e.g., silver, nickel, copper, aluminum, gold),polyethyleneioxythiophene, indium tin oxide, graphene, piezoresistivesemiconductor materials, piezoresistive metal materials, and the like.The top electrode 518 e may be formed from the same material as thebottom electrode 524 e, while in other embodiments the electrodes 518 e,524 e may be formed from different materials. The electrodes 518 e, 524e may be formed or deposited using a suitable disposition technique suchas, but not limited to: vapor deposition, sputtering, plating, printing,roll-to-roll processing, gravure, pick and place, adhesive,mask-and-etch, and so on. A mask or similar technique may be applied toform a patterned top surface of the piezoelectric element 522 e and/or awraparound bottom electrode 524 e.

A first conductive pad 520 e and a second conductive pad 534 e may beformed from a conductive material deposited on the bottom surface of thesubstrate 516. The first conductive pad 520 e and the second conductivepad 534 e may be disposed on a common layer, which may additionallyinclude signal lines to transmit actuation signals to each hapticactuator 521 e (e.g., such as depicted below with respect to FIG. 6C).

The piezoelectric element 522 e may be coupled to the first conductivepad 520 e and the second conductive pad 534 e by an adhesive layer 536e, which may be an anisotropic conductive film. The anisotropicconductive film of the adhesive layer 536 e may facilitate conductionfrom the first conductive pad 520 e to the bottom electrode 524 e andfrom the second conductive pad 534 e to the top electrode 518 e. Theanisotropic conductive film may further isolate these conduction pathsto prevent an undesired short between the conductive pads 520 e, 534 eor electrodes 518 e, 524 e.

In other embodiments, the piezoelectric element 522 e may be coupled andelectrically connected to the first conductive pad 520 e and the secondconductive pad 534 e by isolated segments of isotropic conductive film,an anisotropic or isotropic conductive paste, or another appropriatemethod.

FIG. 5F depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 1, taken along section A-A, illustrating a sixthexample input/output module. As depicted in FIG. 5F, in some embodimentssimilar to FIG. 5A a haptic actuator 521 f may be separately formed andcoupled to the input/output module 505 f and a circuit layer 526 f.

For example, the haptic actuator 521 f may be formed by a separateprocess rather than being deposited onto the substrate 516. A topelectrode 518 f is formed on a top surface of the piezoelectric element522 f, while a bottom electrode 524 f is formed on a bottom surface ofthe piezoelectric element 522 f in a manner similar to that describedabove with respect to FIG. 5E.

The input device 508 may also include a circuit layer 526 f whichincludes signals lines to provide a common reference voltage to eachbottom electrode 524 f of a haptic actuator 521 f. The circuit layer 526f may be a flexible printed circuit or a flexible printed circuit board,similar to that described above with respect to FIG. 5B. The circuitlayer 526 f may include a first conductive pad 520 f for each hapticactuator 521 f.

A second conductive pad 534 f may be formed from a conductive materialdeposited on the bottom surface of the substrate 516. The secondconductive pad 534 f may be disposed on a layer which additionallyincludes signal lines to transmit actuation signals to each hapticactuator 521 f.

The piezoelectric element 522 f may be coupled to the second conductivepad 534 f by a first adhesive layer 536 f and the first conductive pad520 f by a second adhesive layer 538. The first adhesive layer 536 f maybe an anisotropic conductive film, which may facilitate conduction fromthe second conductive pad 534 f to the top electrode 518 f. Theanisotropic conductive film may further isolate the conductive pad 534 fand top electrode 518 f of separate haptic actuators 521 f to prevent anundesired short between haptic actuators 521 f.

In other embodiments, the top electrode 518 f may be coupled andelectrically connected to the second conductive pad 534 f by isolatedsegments of isotropic conductive film, an anisotropic or isotropicconductive paste, or another appropriate method.

The circuit layer 526 f may couple a reference voltage to each bottomelectrode 524 f. Accordingly, the second adhesive layer 538 may be anisotropic conductive film, anisotropic conductive film, a conductivepaste, or other conductive adhesion material.

Accordingly, a potential may be applied across the piezoelectric element522 f, with a common reference voltage provided to each bottom electrode524 f and a signal line provided to each top electrode 518 f. A topelectrode 518 f may receive an actuation signal, and the voltage acrossthe piezoelectric element 522 f may cause the haptic actuator 521 f todeflect, which in turn provides localized haptic feedback at the cover510.

In some embodiments, the top electrodes 518 f may form a commonreference layer, and actuation signals may be transmitted to the bottomelectrodes 524 f. In such cases, the top electrodes 518 f may be formedas an interconnected conductive layer (partially or entirely formed ofconductive material), while the circuit layer 526 f may include separatesignal lines to provide actuation signals to each bottom electrode 524f. The second adhesive layer 538 may be an anisotropic conductive filmor other adhesion material that isolates the first conductive pads 520 ffrom each other.

FIG. 6A depicts an example cross-sectional view of an input/outputmodule illustrating the deposition of input electrodes on a top surfaceof a substrate and haptic actuators on a bottom surface of thesubstrate. The input/output module 605 may be similar to those depictedabove with respect to FIGS. 5A-5F.

The input/output module 605 includes a substrate 616 on which inputelectrodes 606 and haptic actuators 621 are disposed. Generally, a setor array of input electrodes 606 are disposed on a top surface of thesubstrate 616, near a cover of an input device. A set or array of hapticactuators 621 is disposed on a bottom surface of the substrate 616. Eachhaptic actuator 621 may include a piezoelectric element 622 between aconductive pad 620 and a top electrode 618 above, and a bottom electrode624 below.

FIG. 6B depicts an example top view of input electrodes deposited on thetop surface of the substrate. As depicted, each input electrode 606 maybe a touch- and strain-sensitive element, which may be a conductivetrace deposited or otherwise formed on the substrate 616 as a straingauge. Each input electrode 606 may be formed in a double-backed spiralshape. In other embodiments, the shape or geometry of an input electrode606 may vary. For example, an input electrode 606 may be formed from aset of traces arranged in a forked or comb-shaped configuration, alinear serpentine shape, a radial serpentine shape, a spiral shape, andso on. In these and other embodiments, the input electrode 606 mayinclude conductive traces set in one or more sets of parallel lines.

Each input electrode 606 includes or is electrically coupled to a firstsignal line 607 and a second signal line 609, which lead across thesubstrate 616 to connect to processing circuitry and/or a signalgenerator, such as described below with respect to FIG. 11. A signalgenerator may provide electrical signals to each input electrode 606through the first signal line 607 or the second signal line 609.Processing circuitry may be coupled to one or both signal lines 607, 609to detect a capacitive touch response and a resistive force response.That is, a presence and location of a touch may be detected through achange in capacitance of an input electrode 606, or across multipleinput electrodes 606 (see FIGS. 3B and 4B, described above). Anon-binary amount of force may be detected through a change inresistance through an input electrode 606 (see FIGS. 3C and 4C,described above).

The signal lines 607, 609 may be formed of a similar material and in asimilar process as the input electrodes 606. In some embodiments, theinput electrodes 606 and the signal lines 607, 609 are formed in a sameprocessing step. In other embodiments, the input electrodes 606 areformed in one processing step and one or both signal lines 607, 609 areformed in a separate processing step. The input electrodes 606 and thesignal lines 607, 609 may be arranged in any suitable pattern, such as agrid pattern, a circular pattern, or any other geometric pattern(including a non-regular pattern).

FIG. 6C depicts an example bottom view of a conducting layer for hapticactuators, deposited on the bottom surface of the substrate. FIG. 6C isdepicted with other elements of each haptic actuator 621 shown asghosted lines in order to clarify an example layout of a conductinglayer.

As depicted, a conductive pad 620 and a top electrode 618 (e.g., anotherconductive pad) may be provided for each haptic actuator 621. Signallines 619, 623 connect to each top electrode 618 and conductive pad 620in order to electrically couple the haptic actuator 621 to a signalgenerator and/or processing circuitry and provide actuation signals. Asshown, each conductive pad 620 may connect to a first signal line 619,which may provide a reference voltage to a bottom electrode of thehaptic actuator 621. Each top electrode 618 may connect to a secondsignal line 623, which may provide an actuation signal to the hapticactuator 621. In other embodiments, the top electrodes 618 may becoupled to a reference voltage and the conductive pads 620 may receivean actuation signal.

The signal lines 619, 623 may be formed of a similar material and in asimilar process as the conductive pads 620 and top electrodes 618,described above with respect to FIG. 5A. In some embodiments, theconductive pads 620, top electrodes 618, and signal lines 619, 623 areformed in a same processing step. In other embodiments, the conductivepads 620 and/or top electrodes 618 are formed in one processing step andone or more signal lines 619, 623 are formed in a separate processingstep. The input electrodes 606 and the signal lines 607, 609 may bearranged in any suitable pattern, such as a grid pattern, a circularpattern, or any other geometric pattern (including a non-regularpattern).

In some embodiments, the input electrodes 606 and signal lines 607, 609are formed on the top surface of the substrate 616 in one processingstep, and the conductive pads 620, top electrodes 618, and signal lines619, 623 are formed on the bottom surface of the substrate 616 inanother processing step. In other embodiments, conducting material isformed on both sides of the substrate 616 in a same processing step.

FIGS. 7A and 7B depict example input electrodes which may compensate foradverse environmental effects, such as changes in temperature. Theperformance of an input electrode 706 a, 706 b, 706 c is dependent, inpart, on the precision, accuracy, and resolution with which the strainexperienced by the input electrode 706 a, 706 b, 706 c may be estimated.As discussed above, processing circuitry may be configured to measure achange in the resistance of an input electrode 706 a, 706 b, 706 c dueto applied force.

However, an actual measurement of the resistance of an input electrode706 a, 706 b, 706 c may also be sensitive to variations in temperature,both across the device and localized over a portion of the device. Someembodiments of the input electrode 706 a, 706 b, 706 c may be used toreduce or eliminate effects due to temperature or other environmentalconditions.

For example, FIG. 7A depicts an example perspective view of a pair ofinput electrodes disposed adjacent one another over a substrate. In thisconfiguration, a first input electrode 706 a and a second inputelectrode 706 b may be arranged in sufficient proximity that the twoinput electrodes 706 a, 706 b experience approximately the sameenvironmental effects. The output of the first input electrode 706 a andthe second input electrode 706 b may be compared by processing circuitryto mitigate or eliminate variations in force measurements as a result ofchanging environmental conditions, such as changes in temperature.

As an example, the first input electrode 706 a may be more responsive tostrain along a particular direction than the second input electrode 706b. The resistive response to of the first input electrode 706 a may thenbe compared to the resistive response of the second input electrode 706b (e.g., by subtracting the response of the second input electrode 706 bfrom the first input electrode 706 a) to account for temperaturevariation.

FIG. 7B depicts another example perspective view of a pair ofstrain-sensitive element disposed above and below one another to form aninput electrode. An input electrode 706 a may include a firststrain-sensitive element 770 disposed on the substrate 716. A secondstrain-sensitive element 766 is disposed above the firststrain-sensitive element 770, with a film 768 or other dielectricmaterial disposed between. In this configuration, the output of thefirst strain-sensitive element 770 may similarly be compared to thesecond strain-sensitive element 766 by processing circuitry to mitigateor eliminate variations in force measurements as a result of changes intemperature or other conditions.

As an example, the first strain-sensitive element 770 may be placedunder compression while the second strain-sensitive element 766 may beplaced under tension in response to a force on the cover. The distinctresistive responses of the first strain-sensitive element 770 and thesecond strain-sensitive element 766 may be compared to account fortemperature variation.

FIG. 8A depicts another electronic device with an input region having anintegrated input/output module according to the present disclosure. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the electronic device 800 is implemented asa tablet computing device.

The electronic device 800 includes an enclosure 801 at least partiallysurrounding a display 802 and one or more input devices 842. Theenclosure 801 can form an outer surface or partial outer surface for theinternal components of the electronic device 800. The enclosure 801 canbe formed of one or more components operably connected together, such asa front piece and a back piece. Alternatively, the enclosure 801 can beformed of a single piece operably connected to the display 802.

The display 802 can provide a visual output to the user. The display 802can be implemented with any suitable technology, including, but notlimited to, a liquid crystal display element, a light emitting diodeelement, an organic light-emitting display element, an organicelectroluminescence element, an electrophoretic ink display, and thelike.

In some embodiments, the input device 842 can take the form of a homebutton, which may be a mechanical button, a soft button (e.g., a buttonthat does not physically move but still accepts inputs), an icon orimage on a display, and so on. Further, in some embodiments, the inputdevice 842 can be integrated as part of a cover 810 and/or the enclosure801 of the electronic device 800. Although not shown in FIG. 1, theelectronic device 800 can include other types of input and/or outputdevices, such as a microphone, a speaker, a camera, a biometricelectrode, and one or more ports, such as a network communication portand/or a power cord port.

A cover 810 may be positioned over the front surface (or a portion ofthe front surface) of the electronic device 800. While the cover 810 isdepicted in reference to a cover over a display of a tablet computer, aninput/output module may be positioned below other transparent orpartially transparent covers, such as an enclosure of a device forming avirtual keyboard. The input/output module and the display 802 may defineuser input regions, such as dynamically configurable keys, which mayreceive force and touch inputs and provide haptic outputs to the cover810.

At least a portion of the cover 810 can function as an input surfacethat receives touch and/or force inputs. The cover 810 can be formedwith any suitable material, such as glass, plastic, sapphire, orcombinations thereof. In one embodiment, the cover 810 encloses thedisplay 802 and the input device 842. Touch and/or force inputs can bereceived by the portion of the cover 810 that encloses the display 802and by the portion of the cover 810 that encloses the input device 842.

In another embodiment, the cover 810 encloses the display 802 but notthe input device 842. Touch and/or force inputs can be received by theportion of the cover 810 that encloses the display 802. In someembodiments, touch and/or force inputs can be received on other portionsof the cover 810, or on the entire cover 810. The input device 842 maybe disposed in an opening or aperture formed in the cover 810. In someembodiments, the aperture extends through the enclosure 801 and one ormore components of the input device 842 are positioned in the enclosure.

An input/output module may be incorporated below all or a portion of thecover 810. The input/output module may detect touch inputs and forceinputs on all or a portion of the cover 810, and additionally mayprovide haptic feedback to the cover 810. Examples of the electronicdevice 800 and the features of the input/output module are furtherdepicted below with respect to FIGS. 8B, 8C, 9, and 10. Examplecomponents of the electronic device 800 are described below with respectto FIG. 11.

FIG. 8B depicts an example cross-sectional view of the electronic devicedepicted in FIG. 8A, taken along section B-B, illustrating a firstexample input/output module. An input device 808 includes a cover 810defining an input surface, a display 802 below the cover 810, and aninput/output module 805 between the cover 810 and the display 802.

The cover 810 is typically formed from a transparent dielectricmaterial, such as glass, sapphire, plastic, acrylic, and othertransparent, non-conductive materials. The cover 810 may be coupled tothe input/output module 805 by an adhesive layer 840. The adhesive layer840 may include an optically clear adhesive, or another transparentadhesive which couples the cover 810 to the input/output module 805 suchthat a deflection in the cover 810 is transferred through the adhesivelayer 840 to the input/output module 805, and a deflection of theinput/output module 805 is transferred to the cover 810.

The input/output module 805 includes a substrate 816 on which inputelectrodes 806 and haptic actuators are disposed, in a manner similar tothe input/output modules 505 a-505 f described above with respect toFIGS. 5A-5F. The materials of the substrate 816, the input electrodes806, and the piezoelectric elements 822 may be optically transparent.The piezoelectric elements 822 of the haptic actuators may be coupled tothe substrate 816 through a conductive layer 818, which may provideactuation signals to the piezoelectric elements 822.

Conductive materials of the input/output module 805, such as the inputelectrodes 806 and the conductive layer 818 may be formed from opticallytransparent materials, such as, but not limited to: indium-tin oxide,carbon nanotubes, metal nanowires, or any combination thereof. Thepiezoelectric element 822 may be formed from a transparent piezoelectricmaterial, such as lithium niobate, quartz, and other suitablepiezoelectric materials.

The display 802 may include a display element, and may includeadditional layers such as one or more polarizers, one or more conductivelayers, and one or more adhesive layers. In some embodiments, abacklight assembly (not shown) is positioned below the display 802. Thedisplay 802, along with the backlight assembly, is used to output imageson the display. In other embodiments, the backlight assembly may beomitted.

FIG. 8C depicts another example cross-sectional view of the electronicdevice depicted in FIG. 8A, taken along section B-B, illustrating asecond example input/output module. In some embodiments, the display 802may be positioned adjacent the cover 810, and the input/output module805 may be placed below the display 802.

The input/output module 805 may be coupled to the display 802 by anadhesive layer 846. The input/output module 805 may include a substrate816 on which input electrodes 806, and haptic actuators are disposed.The haptic actuators may include a conductive layer 818 and apiezoelectric element 822. Each of these components may be similar tothose described above with respect to FIGS. 5A-5F and 8C, and may beoptically transparent or opaque.

In various embodiments, the input/output modules shown and describedwith respect to FIGS. 5A-8C include haptic actuators and inputelectrodes disposed beneath a cover as part of a separate layer from thecover, such as a substrate. These are example arrangements of the hapticactuators with respect to the cover, and other arrangements arepossible. For example, in some embodiments, one or more haptic actuatorsor input electrodes may be integrally formed with (e.g., on or within) awall of an enclosure of a portable electronic device. FIGS. 9-10D depictexample embodiments in which haptic actuators and input electrodes areintegrally formed with (e.g., on or within) a wall of an enclosure.

FIG. 9 depicts an enclosure 900 for an electronic device 990 (e.g., aportable electronic device) having one or more components of aninput/output module integrally formed with a wall of the enclosure. Insome embodiments, the electronic device 990 is an electronic watch orsmartwatch. In various embodiments, the enclosure 900 may include anenclosure component 901 and a cover 902. The enclosure component 901 andthe cover 902 may be attached or otherwise coupled and may cooperate toform the enclosure 900 and define one or more exterior surfaces of theelectronic device 990. In various embodiments, one or more input/outputmodules may be at least partially integrally formed with a wall 931 ofthe enclosure 900. As used herein, “integrally formed with” may be usedto refer to defining or forming a unitary structure. For example, one ormore haptic actuators, input electrodes, and/or other components of aninput/output module may be integrally formed on or within the wall 931to form a unitary structure by co-firing or co-sintering the one or morehaptic actuators, input electrodes, and/or other components with atleast a portion of the enclosure 900.

The wall 931 (e.g., a sidewall of the electronic device 990) defines atleast a portion of an exterior surface of the enclosure 900 that isconfigured to receive a contact from a user. Integrally forming a hapticactuator within a wall of the enclosure allows for localized hapticfeedback (e.g., localized deflection of the wall 931) to be produced atselect locations along an exterior surface of the enclosure, for examplein response to a touch input detected along the exterior surface.Similarly, integrally forming an input electrode within a wall of theenclosure allows for localized touch input and force input detection atselect locations along the exterior surface of the enclosure.

In various embodiments, the enclosure 900, including the enclosurecomponent 901, may be formed from a variety of materials includingpolymers (e.g., polycarbonate, acrylic), glass, ceramics, composites,metal or metal alloys, (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum), preciousmetals (e.g., gold, silver), or other suitable materials, or acombination of these materials. In some embodiments, the enclosurecomponent 901 is at least partially formed from a ceramic material suchas aluminum oxide (alumina) or other similar type of material. Invarious embodiments, the enclosure component 901 may be co-fired withone or more components of the input/output module and/or othercomponents of the electronic device 990. As used herein, “co-firing” maybe used to refer to any process by which one or more components ormaterials are fired in a kiln or otherwise heated to fuse or sinter thematerials at the same time. For the purposes of the followingdiscussion, “co-firing” may be used to refer to a process in which twomaterials, which are in a green, partially sintered, pre-sintered stateare heated or sintered together for some period of time. In variousembodiments, a co-firing process may include low temperature (LTCC)applications (e.g., sintering temperatures below 1000 degrees Celsius)and/or high temperature (HTCC) applications (e.g., high temperaturesbetween 1000 and 1800 degrees Celsius). In various embodiments,co-firing components of the electronic device 990 may improve theelectronic device by reducing device dimensions (e.g., thickness of awall or other component), reducing or eliminating the need for adhesivesto join components together, simplifying manufacturing, and the like.

In some embodiments, one or more components of the input/output moduleare at least partially formed of a ceramic material. For example, theinput/output module may include one or more piezoelectric ceramicactuators, ceramic buffers, or the like, as discussed below. Morespecifically, as described in more detail below, the input/output modulemay include a piezoelectric element that is configured to produce alocalized deflection along the exterior surface of the enclosurecomponent 901. If the enclosure component 901 and the piezoelectricelement are both formed from ceramic materials, the two components maybe integrally formed using a co-firing or co-sintering process.

In some embodiments, the cover 902 may include a sheet or cover sheetthat is positioned over a display of the electronic device 990. Thedisplay may include one or more input devices or touch sensors and beconfigured as a touch-sensitive or touchscreen display. The touchsensors may include input electrodes or electrodes in accordance withembodiments described herein. Specifically, the touch sensors mayinclude an array of input electrodes that are configured to detect alocation of a touch input along the cover 902. In some instances, anarray of electrodes that are configured to detect a force of a touchinput are positioned along or below the cover 902.

The cover 902 may be formed from an optically transmissive material toallow images or light to be visible therethrough. As used herein,“optically transmissive” or “light-transmissive” may be used to refer tosomething that is transparent or translucent, or otherwise allows lightor other electromagnetic radiation to propagate therethrough. In somecases, transparent materials or components may introduce some diffusion,lensing effects, distortions, or the like (e.g., due to surfacetextures) while still allowing objects or images to be seen through thematerials or components, and such deviations are understood to be withinthe scope of the meaning of transparent. Also, materials that aretransparent may be coated, painted, or otherwise treated to produce anon-transparent (e.g., opaque) component; in such cases the material maystill be referred to as transparent, even though the material may bepart of an opaque component. Translucent components may be formed byproducing a textured or frosted surface on an otherwise transparentmaterial (e.g., clear glass). Translucent materials may also be used,such as translucent polymers, translucent ceramics, or the like.

Various components of an electronic device 990 may be coupled to and/orpositioned within the enclosure 900. For example, processing circuitryof the electronic device may be housed or positioned within an internalvolume 921 of the enclosure 900. Additional components of the electronicdevice are discussed in more detail below with respect to FIG. 15.Although the enclosure 900 is pictured as having a rectangular shape,this is one example and is not meant to be limiting. In variousembodiments, the electronic device may be and/or take the form of apersonal computer, a notebook or laptop computer, a tablet, a smartphone, a watch, a case for an electronic device, a home automationdevice, and so on.

In some embodiments, the enclosure component 901 defines a wall 931(e.g., sidewall or enclosure wall) that defines at least a portion of anexterior surface 911 of the enclosure 900. FIG. 10A depicts an examplepartial cross-sectional view of the electronic device 990 depicted inFIG. 9, taken along section C-C. The electronic device 990 includes aninput/output module 1050 a. The input/output module 1050 a includes oneor more haptic actuators 1051, and one or more input electrodes 1060,1070. In various embodiments, the input/output module 1050 a may be atleast partially integrated or integrally formed with the wall 931. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 10A, one or more haptic actuators 1051 may beformed within the structure of the wall 931. As previously mentioned, ifthe haptic actuator 1051 is formed form a ceramic (e.g., ceramicpiezoelectric) material, the haptic actuator 1051 may be integrallyformed with a structure of the enclosure by being co-fired orco-sintered with the wall 931 of the enclosure 900.

As shown in FIG. 10A, one or more input electrodes 1060 a, 1060 b may bedeposited on or within the wall 931. For example, as shown in FIG. 10A,the input electrodes 1060 a, 1060 b may be deposited on an interiorsurface 1004 of the wall 931. Each input electrode 1060 a, 1060 b may beformed from a conductive material arranged in a pattern suitable todetect touch inputs, for example along a portion of the exterior surfacelocated along the wall 931. For example, the input electrodes 1060 a,1060 b may be arranged in square or rectangular shapes, such asdescribed with respect to FIG. 10B. The input electrodes 1060 a, 1060 balone or in combination with other electrodes may define an array ofinput electrodes. In some instances, at least a portion of the array ofelectrodes defines a touch sensor or a portion of the touch screen thatis positioned below the cover (e.g., cover 902 of FIG. 9).

FIG. 10B depicts an example view of input electrodes deposited on theinterior surface 1004 of the wall 931, taken through section D-D of FIG.10A. As depicted, each input electrode 1060 a, 1060 b may be a touch-and/or strain-sensitive element, which may be a conductive tracedeposited or otherwise formed on or within the wall 931. In someembodiments, one or more input electrodes are responsive to strain andmay be configured to produce an electrical signal or have an electricalcharacteristic (e.g., resistance) that is responsive to a force appliedto the wall 931. In some embodiments, one or more input electrodes aremay be configured to produce an electrical signal or have an electricalcharacteristic (e.g., capacitance) that is responsive to a touch inputapplied along the wall 931.

The arrangement and function of the input electrodes 1060 a, 106 b mayvary depending on the implementation. In some embodiments, inputelectrode 1060 a is a touch-sensing input electrode and input electrode1060 b is a force-sensing input electrode. In some embodiments, theinput electrodes 1060 a,1060 b are touch-sensing and force-sensingelectrodes. In various embodiments, the shape or geometry of an inputelectrode 1060 may vary. For example, an input electrode may be formedfrom a set of conductive traces arranged in a doubled-back spiral shape,a forked or comb-shaped configuration, a linear serpentine shape, aradial serpentine shape, a spiral shape, and so on. In these and otherembodiments, the input electrode 1060 a, 1060 b may include conductivetraces set in one or more sets of parallel lines.

Each input electrode 1060 a, 1060 b includes or is electrically coupledto one or more signal lines (e.g., one or more signal lines of a signaltrace 1080). A signal generator may provide electrical signals to eachinput electrode 1060 a, 1060 b through the signal line(s). Processingcircuitry may be coupled to the signal line(s) to detect a capacitivetouch response and a resistive force response. For example, a presenceand/or location of a touch input may be detected through a change incapacitance of an input electrode 1060 a, 1060 b, or across multipleinput electrodes 1060 a, 1060 b (see FIGS. 3B and 4B, described above).Further, an amount of force may be detected using a change in resistancethrough an input electrode 1060 a, 1060 b to produce a non-binary forcesignal or output (see FIGS. 3C and 4C, described above).

The conductive material of the input electrodes 1060 a, 1060 b mayinclude materials such as, but not limited to: gold, copper,copper-nickel alloy, copper-nickel-iron alloy,copper-nickel-manganese-iron alloy, copper-nickel-manganese alloy,nickel-chrome alloy, chromium nitride, a composite nanowire structure, acomposite carbon structure, graphene, nanotube, constantan, karma,silicon, polysilicon, gallium alloy, isoelastic alloy, and so on. Theconductive material of the input electrodes 1060 a,b may be formed ordeposited on a surface using a suitable disposition technique such as,but not limited to: vapor deposition, sputtering, printing, roll-to-rollprocessing, gravure, pick and place, adhesive, mask-and-etch, and so on.In some embodiments, the input electrodes may be co-fired with one ormore components of the input/output module and/or the enclosurecomponent 901, such as described below with respect to FIGS. 10C and10D.

As described above, in some embodiments one or more signal lines may beincluded in a signal trace 1080. The signal lines may be formed of asimilar material and in a similar process as the input electrodes 1060a, 1060 b. In some embodiments, the input electrodes 1060 a, 1060 b andthe signal lines are formed in a same processing step. In otherembodiments, the input electrodes 1060 a, 1060 b are formed in oneprocessing step and one or both signal lines are formed in a separateprocessing step. The input electrodes 1060 a, 1060 b and the signallines may be arranged in any suitable pattern, such as a grid pattern, acircular pattern, or any other geometric pattern (including anon-regular pattern).

As discussed above, in various embodiments, localized haptic feedbackmay be provided by means of the one or more haptic actuators 1051 thatare integrally formed with the wall 931. A haptic actuator 1051 mayinclude a piezoelectric element 1052, a first electrode 1053, and asecond electrode 1054. The second electrode 1054 (e.g., a conductivepad) may be formed from a conductive material deposited on the internalsurface 1004 of the enclosure component 901. In some embodiments, thesecond electrode 1054 is integrally formed with the wall 931 and maydefine a conductive portion of the internal surface 1004. The firstelectrode 1053 may extend beyond and/or wrap around a portion of thepiezoelectric element and couple to a conductive pad 1055 and/or a trace1080. The conductive pad 1055 may be formed from a conductive materialdeposited on the internal surface 1004 and/or integrally formed with thewall 931. In some embodiments, the second electrode 1054 is integrallyformed with the wall 931 and may define a conductive portion of theinterior surface 1004.

One or more signal lines (e.g., signal trace 1080) may be conductivelycoupled with the conductive pad 1055, the first electrode 1053 and/orthe second electrode 1054 to transmit actuation signals to each hapticactuator 1051. Accordingly, a potential may be applied across thepiezoelectric element 1052—a reference voltage may be provided to thesecond electrode 1054; and an actuation signal may be provided to thefirst electrode 1053. In some embodiments, the first electrode 1053 maybe coupled to a reference voltage and the second electrode 1054 may becoupled to an actuation signal. In various embodiments the referencevoltage may be ground. The signal trace 1080 may couple the inputelectrodes 1060 a, 1060 b, the haptic actuators 1051, and/or othercomponents of the electronic device 990 to one or more additionalcomponents of the electronic device 990. In some embodiments, the signaltrace 1080 is coupled to processing circuitry disposed in the interiorvolume of the electronic device 990.

Each haptic actuator 1051 can be selectively activated in the embodimentshown in FIG. 10A. In particular, the second electrode 1054 can providea reference voltage to a haptic actuator 1051, while each firstelectrode 1053 can apply an electrical signal across each individualpiezoelectric element 1052 independently of the other piezoelectricelements 1052. In response to a drive voltage or signal, the hapticactuator 1051 (including piezoelectric element 1052) may produce alocalized deflection or haptic output along the wall 931. The localizeddeflection or haptic output may be tactically perceptible through atouch of the user's finger or other part of the user's body. Thelocalized deflection or haptic output may be provided in response todetecting a touch input along the exterior surface of the electronicdevice.

As described above, when a voltage is applied across the piezoelectricelement 1052 (or other type of haptic actuator), the voltage may inducethe piezoelectric element 1052 to expand or contract in a direction orplane substantially parallel to the interior surface 1004 and/or theexterior surface 911. For example, the properties of the piezoelectricelement 1052 may cause the piezoelectric element 1052 to expand orcontract along a plane substantially parallel to the interior surface1004 and/or the exterior surface 911 when electrodes applying thevoltage are placed on a top surface and bottom surface of thepiezoelectric element 1052 parallel to the interior surface 1004 and/orthe exterior surface 911.

Because the piezoelectric element 1052 is fixed with respect to the wall931, as the piezoelectric element 1052 contracts along the planeparallel to the interior surface 1004 and/or the exterior surface 911,the piezoelectric element 1052 may bow and deflect in a directionorthogonal to the interior surface 1004 and/or the exterior surface 911(e.g., rightward toward the exterior surface 911 with respect to FIG.10A), thereby causing the wall 931 to bow and/or deflect to provide ahaptic output. The haptic output may be localized to a portion of theexterior surface 911 close to the haptic actuator 1051 (e.g., a portionof the exterior surface 911 rightward of the haptic actuator 1051 withrespect to FIG. 10A).

While the haptic actuator 1051 may be a piezoelectric actuator,different types of haptic actuators 1051 can be used in otherembodiments. For example, in some embodiments, one or more pistonactuators may be disposed within the wall 931, and so on. In variousembodiments, when an actuation signal is applied to the haptic actuator1051, the haptic actuator may actuate to cause the wall 931 to bowand/or deflect to produce a haptic output. For example, a piston of theactuator may move in a direction that is substantially perpendicular tothe exterior surface 911 to create a deflection in the wall 931. Thehaptic output may be localized to a portion of the exterior surface 911close to the haptic actuator 1051. In some embodiments, a piezoelectricactuator may change thickness in a direction that is substantiallyperpendicular to the exterior surface 911, which may in turn cause thewall 931 to bow and/or deflect to produce a haptic output.

The piezoelectric element 1052 may be formed from an appropriatepiezoelectric material, such as potassium-based ceramics (e.g.,potassium-sodium niobate. potassium niobate), lead-based ceramics (e.g.,PZT, lead titanate), quartz, bismuth ferrite, and other suitablepiezoelectric materials. The first electrode 1053, the second electrode1054, and the conductive pad 1055 are typically formed from metal or ametal alloy such as silver, silver ink, copper, copper-nickel alloy, andso on. In other embodiments, other conductive materials can be used.

In some embodiments, the second electrode 1054 and the conductive pad1055 are formed or deposited directly on the interior surface 1004 usinga suitable disposition technique such as, but not limited to: vapordeposition, sputtering, printing, roll-to-roll processing, gravure, pickand place, adhesive, mask-and-etch, and so on.

In some embodiments, one or more components of the haptic actuator 1051,the conductive pad 1055, the trace 1080, and/or one or more inputelectrodes 1060 may be co-fired with the enclosure component 901 and/orother components of the electronic device 990. For example, the hapticactuator 1051 may be formed from a first ceramic material and theenclosure component 901 may be formed from a second housing material,and the haptic actuator 1051 and the enclosure component 901 may beheated at the same time to form a co-sintered or co-fired enclosurecomponent. In some instances, the haptic actuator 1051 and enclosurecomponent 901 may be heated to at least partially sinter or fuse therespective ceramic materials of each element. In some instances, the oneor more components of the haptic actuator 1051, the conductive pad 1055,the trace 1080, and/or one or more input electrodes 1060 may be in agreen, partially sintered, pre-sintered state prior to being heatedtogether in a co-sintering or co-firing process.

FIG. 10C illustrates an example partial cross-sectional view of theelectronic device 990 depicted in FIG. 9, taken along section C-C. Theelectronic device 990 includes an input/output module 1050 b. Theinput/output module 1050 b includes one or more haptic actuators 1091,and one or more input electrodes 1092, 1094. In various embodiments, oneor more components of the input/output module 1050 b may be integrallyformed with the wall 931. For example, as shown in FIG. 10C, one or moreinput electrodes 1092, 1094 may be integrally formed within the wall 931by co-firing or co-sintering the one or more input electrodes with theenclosure component 901. In various embodiments, one or more componentsof the input/output module 1050 b may be integrally formed with the wall931, even if not within the wall. For example, as shown in FIG. 10C, oneor more haptic actuators 1091 may be integrally formed with the wall 931(e.g., on the wall 931) by co-firing or co-sintering the one or moreinput electrodes with the enclosure component 901.

The wall 931 defines at least a portion of an exterior surface of theenclosure 900 that is configured to receive a contact from a user.Integrally forming an input electrode within a wall of the enclosureallows for localized touch input and force input detection at selectlocations along the exterior surface of the enclosure. Integrallyforming a haptic actuator within a wall of the enclosure allows forlocalized haptic output (e.g., localized deflection of the wall 931) atselect locations along the exterior surface of the enclosure.

As discussed above, in various embodiments, localized haptic feedbackmay be provided by means of the one or more haptic actuators 1091. Ahaptic actuator 1091 may be similar to the haptic actuator 1051discussed above with respect to FIG. 10A. The haptic actuator 1091 mayinclude a piezoelectric element 1062, a first electrode 1063, and asecond electrode 1064. In some embodiments, the haptic actuator 1091 mayinclude one or more buffer elements (e.g., a first buffer element 1096and a second buffer element 1098). As previously mentioned, if thehaptic actuator 1051 is formed form a ceramic (e.g., ceramicpiezoelectric) material, the haptic actuator 1051 may be integrallyformed with a structure of the enclosure by being co-fired orco-sintered with the wall 931 of the enclosure 900. In some embodiments,the haptic actuators 1091 are positioned on the interior surface 1004 ofthe wall 931.

One or more signal lines may be conductively coupled with the firstelectrode 1063 and/or the second electrode 1064 to transmit actuationsignals to each haptic actuator 1091. Accordingly, a potential may beapplied across the piezoelectric element 1062—a reference voltage may beprovided to the second electrode 1064; and an actuation signal may beprovided to the first electrode 1063. In some embodiments, the firstelectrode 1063 may be coupled to a reference voltage and the secondelectrode 1064 may be coupled to an actuation signal. In variousembodiments the reference voltage may be ground. In response to a drivevoltage or signal, the haptic actuator 1091 may produce a localizeddeflection or haptic output along the wall 931. The localized deflectionor haptic output may be tactically perceptible through a touch of theuser's finger or other part of the user's body.

Similar to the haptic actuators described above, the haptic actuator1091 may be fixed with respect to the wall 931. Because thepiezoelectric element 1062 is fixed with respect to the wall 931, as thepiezoelectric element 1062 contracts along the plane parallel to theinterior surface 1004 and/or the exterior surface 911, the piezoelectricelement 1062 may bow and deflect in a direction orthogonal to theinterior surface 1004 and/or the exterior surface 911 (e.g., rightwardtoward the exterior surface 911 with respect to FIG. 10C), therebycausing the wall 931 to bow and/or deflect. The haptic feedback may belocalized to a portion of the exterior surface 911 close to the hapticactuator 1091 (e.g., a portion of the exterior surface 911 rightward ofthe haptic actuator 1091 with respect to FIG. 10C).

The input electrodes 1092, 1094, 1099 may be similar to the inputelectrodes discussed herein (e.g., input electrodes 1060 a, 1060 b). Insome embodiments, the input electrodes 1092, 1094 may be integrallyformed with the wall 931, for example by co-firing the input electrodeswith the enclosure component 901. The input electrodes 1099 may bedeposited on a buffer element, such as buffer element 1098.

Each input electrode 1092, 1094, 1099 may be formed from a conductivematerial arranged in a pattern suitable to detect inputs. For example,the input electrodes 1092, 1094, 1099 may be arranged in spiral shapes,such as described with respect to FIG. 10D. The input electrodes 1092,1094, 1099 alone or in combination with other electrodes may define anarray of input electrodes. In some instances, at least a portion of thearray of electrodes defines a touch sensor or a portion of the touchscreen that is positioned below the cover (e.g., cover 902 of FIG. 9).

FIG. 10D depicts an example partial cross-sectional view showing examplepatterns of the input electrodes 1092 taken along section E-E. FIG. 10Dalso depicts an example partial cross-sectional view showing examplepatterns of the input electrodes 1094 taken along section F-F. Asdepicted, each input electrode 1092, 1094, 1099 may be a touch- and/orstrain-sensitive element 1090 a, 1090 b, which may be a conductive tracedeposited or otherwise formed on or within the wall 931. In someembodiments, one or more input electrodes are responsive to strain andmay be configured to produce an electrical signal or have an electricalcharacteristic (e.g., resistance) that is responsive to a force appliedto the wall 931. In some embodiments, one or more input electrodes aremay be configured to produce an electrical signal or have an electricalcharacteristic (e.g., capacitance) that is responsive to a touch inputapplied along the wall 931.

The arrangement and function of the input electrodes 1092, 1094, 1099may vary depending on the implementation. In some embodiments, inputelectrode 1092 is a touch-sensing input electrode and input electrodes1094 and 1099 are force-sensing input electrodes. In some embodiments,the input electrodes 1092, 1094 are touch-sensing and force-sensingelectrodes. In some embodiments, the input/output module 1050 b includesa subset of the input electrodes 1092, 1094, and 1099. For example, theinput/output module 1050 b may include a touch-sensing input electrode1092 and a force-sensing input electrode 1094. As another example, theinput/output module 1050 b may include a touch-sensing input electrode1092 and a force-sensing input electrode 1099.

In some embodiments, the input electrodes are arranged in spiral shapes,such as elements 1090 a, 1090 b shown in FIG. 10D. In variousembodiments, the shape or geometry of an input electrode 1092, 1094 mayvary. For example, an input electrode may be formed from a set ofconductive traces arranged in a doubled-back spiral shape, a forked orcomb-shaped configuration, a linear serpentine shape, a radialserpentine shape, a spiral shape, and so on. In these and otherembodiments, the input electrode 1092, 1094 may include conductivetraces set in one or more sets of parallel lines.

Each input electrode 1092, 1094 includes or is electrically coupled toone or more signal lines (e.g., one or more signal lines of a signaltrace). For example, returning to FIG. 10C, the input electrodes 1092,1094 may be coupled to one or more conductive pads 1095 a,b and 1093 a,1060 b, respectively. A signal generator may provide electrical signalsto each input electrode 1092, 1094 through the signal line(s), forexample via the conductive pads 1093, 1095. The conductive pads 1093,1095 may be formed from a conductive material deposited on the internalsurface 1004 and/or integrally formed with the wall 931. Processingcircuitry may be coupled to the signal line(s) to detect a capacitivetouch response and a resistive force response. That is, a presence andlocation of a touch input may be detected through a change incapacitance of an input electrode 1092, 1094, or across multiple inputelectrodes 1092, 1094 (see FIGS. 3B and 4B, described above). Further,an amount of force may be detected using a change in resistance throughan input electrode 1092, 1094 to produce a non-binary force signal oroutput (see FIGS. 3C and 4C, described above).

The conductive material of the input electrodes 1092, 1094 may includematerials such as, but not limited to: gold, copper, copper-nickelalloy, copper-nickel-iron alloy, copper-nickel-manganese-iron alloy,copper-nickel-manganese alloy, nickel-chrome alloy, chromium nitride, acomposite nanowire structure, a composite carbon structure, graphene,nanotube, constantan, karma, silicon, polysilicon, gallium alloy,isoelastic alloy, and so on. The conductive material of the inputelectrodes 1092, 1094 may be formed or deposited on a surface using asuitable disposition technique such as, but not limited to: vapordeposition, sputtering, printing, roll-to-roll processing, gravure, pickand place, adhesive, mask-and-etch, and so on. In some embodiments, theinput electrodes may be co-fired with one or more components of theinput/output module and/or the enclosure component 901.

The signal trace may couple the input electrodes 1092, 1094, the hapticactuators 1091, and/or other components of the electronic device 990 toone or more additional components of the electronic device 990. In someembodiments, the signal trace is coupled to processing circuitrydisposed in the interior volume of the electronic device 990.

In some embodiments, one or more components of the haptic actuator 1091and/or one or more input electrodes 1092, 1094 may be co-fired with theenclosure component 901 and/or other components of the electronic device990. For example, the haptic actuator 1091 may be formed from a firstceramic material and the enclosure component 901 may be formed from asecond housing material, and the haptic actuator 1091 and the enclosurecomponent 901 may be heated at the same time to form a co-sintered orco-fired enclosure component. In some instances, the haptic actuator1091 and enclosure component 901 may be heated to at least partiallysinter or fuse the respective ceramic materials of each element. In someinstances, the one or more components of the haptic actuator 1091, thecontact pad 1093, 1095, and/or one or more input electrodes 1092, 1094may be in a green, partially sintered, pre-sintered state prior to beingheated together in a co-sintering or co-firing process.

In the example embodiment shown in FIG. 10A-10B, the input/output module1050 a includes three haptic actuators and four input electrodes. In theexample embodiment shown in FIG. 10C-10D, the input/output module 1050 bincludes two haptic actuators and two input electrodes. These areexample configurations, and in various embodiments, the input/outputmodule (s) may include more or fewer haptic actuators and/or more orfewer input electrodes. The input/output modules 1050 a, 1050 b areshown in FIGS. 10A-10D as being at least partially disposed in the wall931 of the electronic device 990. These are examples of placement of theinput/output module. In various embodiments, the input/output module(s)may be positioned at any suitable location in an electronic device. Forexample, the input/output module may be positioned on or within and/orintegrally formed with one or more covers of the electronic device orany other suitable components.

The relative position of the various layers described above may changedepending on the embodiment. Some layers may be omitted in otherembodiments. Other layers may not be uniform layers of single materials,but may include additional layers, coatings, and/or be formed fromcomposite materials. For example, an insulation layer may encapsulateone or more components of the input/output module 1050 a to protect fromcorrosion and/or electrical interference. As another example, theelectronic device 990 may include a layer 1003 between the cover 902 andthe enclosure component 901. In various embodiments, the layer 1003 isan adhesive and/or compliant layer. In some embodiments, the layer 1003is a gasket that forms a seal (e.g., a watertight and/or airtight seal)around a perimeter of the cover 902. The electronic device may includeadditional layers and components, such as processing circuitry, a signalgenerator, a battery, etc., which have been omitted from FIGS. 10A-10Dfor clarity.

As described above, an input/output module may be disposed in anyelectronic device. In one embodiment, the input/output module isdisposed in a wearable electronic device such as a watch. FIG. 11depicts an example wearable electronic device 1100 that may incorporatean input/output module as described herein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic device 1100 is implementedas a wearable computing device (e.g., an electronic watch). Otherembodiments can implement the electronic device differently. Forexample, the electronic device can be a smart telephone, a gamingdevice, a digital music player, a device that provides time, a healthassistant, and other types of electronic devices that include, or can beconnected to a sensor(s).

In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the wearable electronic device 1100includes an enclosure 1150 at least partially surrounding a display1108, a watch crown 1110, and one or more buttons 1112. The wearableelectronic device 1100 may also include a band 1104 that may be used toattach the wearable electronic device to a user. The display 1108 may bepositioned at least partially within an opening defined in the enclosure1150. A cover may be disposed over the display 1108. The wearableelectronic device 1100 can also include one or more internal components(not shown) typical of a computing or electronic device, such as, forexample, processing circuitry, memory components, network interfaces,and so on. FIG. 15 depicts an example computing device, the componentsof which may be included in the wearable electronic device 1100.

In various embodiments, the wearable electronic device 1100 may includean input/output module such as those described herein. For example, theinput/output module may be positioned on or within a wall 1131, thedisplay 1108 and/or a cover disposed over the display, the band 1104,the watch crown 1110, the button 1112, or substantially any othersurface of the wearable electronic device 1100.

In various embodiments, the wearable electronic device 1100 may displaygraphical outputs. For example, processing circuitry of the wearableelectronic device may direct the display 1108 to provide a graphicaloutput. Similarly, in some embodiments, the display 1108 is configuredto receive inputs as a touch screen style display. In variousembodiments, the input/output module may provide outputs and/or detectinputs in relation to graphical outputs provided at the display, inputsreceived at the wearable electronic device 1100, and so on.

FIG. 12 depicts an example input device 1204 that may incorporate aninput/output module as described herein. The input device 1204 may beused to provide input to an additional electronic device, for example,through interaction with a touch-sensitive surface. The input device1204 may be a stylus keyboard, trackpad, touch screen, three-dimensionalinput systems (e.g., virtual or augmented reality input systems), orother corresponding input structure. A user may manipulate anorientation and position of the electronic device 1204 relative to thetouch-sensitive surface to convey information to the additionalelectronic device such as, but not limited to, writing, sketching,scrolling, gaming, selecting user interface elements, moving userinterface elements, and so on. The touch-sensitive surface may be amulti-touch display screen or a non-display input surface (e.g., such asa trackpad or drawing tablet) as may be appropriate for a givenapplication.

FIG. 12 generally shows the input device 1204 having a long, narrow, orelongated body or enclosure 1208 coupled to the tip 1206 (although theexact shape of the stylus may widely vary). The enclosure 1208 mayextend along a longitudinal axis of a stylus body or other structurehaving an exterior surface that is configured for manipulation by a useras a writing implement. For example, the exterior surface of theenclosure 1208 may be a hoop, shell, or other substantially cylindricalstructure that may be gripped by a user in order to use the input device1204 as a writing instrument. The tip 1206 may be configured to moverelative to the enclosure 1208 in response to a force input.

In various embodiments, the input device 1204 may include one or moreinput/output modules as described herein. For example, an input/outputmodule may be positioned on or in the enclosure 1208, for example on orin a wall of the enclosure 1208. The input/output module may detectinputs and/or provide haptic outputs at a surface of the input device1204.

FIG. 13 depicts an example method for detecting a location of a touchinput and an amount of force corresponding to the touch input with asingle module. As described above, touch input and force input may bedetected through input electrodes disposed on a single layer of aninput/output module of an input device, though this is not required.

The method begins at operation 1302, in which an input electrode isdriven by a drive signal. The input electrode may be driven by analternating current drive signal or a direct current drive signal. Insome embodiments, the input electrode may be driven by a first drivesignal (e.g., a drive signal having a first waveform, which may includeA/C and/or D/C components, and may have a given amplitude, shape, and/orfrequency) during a first period of time, and a different second drivesignal (e.g., a drive signal having a second waveform, which may includeA/C and/or D/C components, and may have a given amplitude, shape, and/orfrequency) during a second period of time. In some embodiments, theinput device may include a set or array of input electrodes. Each inputelectrode may be driven by the drive signal, or some input electrodesmay be driven while others are not. The input electrodes may be drivenby a same drive signal, or by distinct drive signals (e.g., drivesignals having different waveforms).

Next, at operation 1304, the input electrode is monitored (e.g., byprocessing circuitry). Generally, the input electrode is monitored for achange in an electrical parameter, such as capacitance. Where the inputdevice includes multiple input electrodes, all input electrodes may bemonitored concurrently, or the input electrodes may be monitored duringdistinct time periods.

Next, at operation 1306, a touch location is determined. As the inputelectrodes are monitored, a change in capacitance may be detected,indicating a finger or other object has approached or come in contactwith an input surface (e.g., defined by a cover) of the input device.The location of the touch may be determined based on a locationcorresponding to the input electrode(s) which detected the change incapacitance.

Next, at operation 1308, the input electrode is monitored for a changein another electrical parameter, such as resistance. Where the inputdevice includes multiple input electrodes, all input electrodes may bemonitored concurrently, or the input electrodes may be monitored duringdistinct time periods.

Lastly, at operation 1310, an amount of force is determined. As theinput electrodes are monitored, a non-binary change in resistance may bedetected, indicating a force has been applied to the cover. A non-binaryamount of the force may be estimated or determined based on the changein resistance detected. In some embodiments, a location of the force maybe determined based on a location corresponding to the inputelectrode(s) which detected the change in resistance.

One may appreciate that although many embodiments are disclosed above,the operations and steps presented with respect to methods andtechniques are meant as exemplary and accordingly are not exhaustive.One may further appreciate that alternate operation order or fewer oradditional operations may be required or desired for particularembodiments.

For example, FIG. 14 depicts another example method for detecting alocation of a touch and an amount of force corresponding to the touchwith a single module.

The method begins at operation 1402, in which an input electrode isdriven by a drive signal. The input electrode may be driven by analternating current drive signal or a direct current drive signal. Insome embodiments, the input device may include a set or array of inputelectrodes. Each input electrode may be driven by the drive signal, orsome input electrodes may be driven while others are not. The inputelectrodes may be driven by a same drive signal, or by distinct drivesignals (e.g., drive signals having different waveforms).

Next, at operation 1404, the input electrode is monitored (e.g., byprocessing circuitry). Generally, the input electrode is monitored for achange in capacitance. Next, at operation 1406, a touch location isdetermined. As the input electrodes are monitored, a change incapacitance may be detected, and a touch location may be determinedbased on a location corresponding to the input electrode(s) whichdetected the change in capacitance.

At operation 1408, which may occur concurrently with operation 1404and/or operation 1406, the input electrode is monitored for a change inresistance. Lastly, at operation 1410, which may occur concurrently withoperation 1404 and/or operation 1406, an amount of force is determined.As the input electrodes are monitored, a non-binary change in resistancemay be detected, indicating a force has been applied to the cover. Anon-binary amount of the force, may be estimated or determined based onthe change in resistance detected.

FIG. 15 depicts example components of an electronic device in accordancewith the embodiments described herein. The schematic representationdepicted in FIG. 15 may correspond to components of the devices depictedin FIGS. 1-10, described above. However, FIG. 15 may also more generallyrepresent other types of electronic devices with an integratedinput/output module that receives touch and/or force inputs and provideslocalized deflection at a surface.

As shown in FIG. 15, a device 1500 includes an input electrode 1506which detects touch and/or force inputs. The input electrode 1506 mayreceive signals from a signal generator 1556, and output responsesignals to processing circuitry 1548. The response signals may indicatetouch inputs through changes in capacitance, and may further indicateforce inputs through changes in resistance.

The device 1500 also includes processing circuitry 1548. The processingcircuitry 1548 is operatively connected to components of the device1500, such as an input electrode 1506. The processing circuitry 1548 isconfigured to determine a location of a finger or touch over an inputsurface (e.g., defined by a cover) of the device 1500, based on signalsreceived from the input electrode 1506.

The processing circuitry 1548 may also be configured to receive forceinput from the input electrode 1506 and determine a non-binary amount offorce based on signals received from the input electrode 1506. Inaccordance with the embodiments described herein, the processingcircuitry 1548 may be configured to operate using a dynamic oradjustable force threshold.

In addition the processing circuitry 1548 may be operatively connectedto computer memory 1550. The processing circuitry 1548 may beoperatively connected to the memory 1550 component via an electronic busor bridge. The processing circuitry 1548 may include one or morecomputer processors or microcontrollers that are configured to performoperations in response to computer-readable instructions. The processingcircuitry 1548 may include a central processing unit (CPU) of the device1500. Additionally or alternatively, the processing circuitry 1548 mayinclude other processors within the device 1500 including applicationspecific integrated chips (ASIC) and other microcontroller devices. Theprocessing circuitry 1548 may be configured to perform functionalitydescribed in the examples above.

The memory 1550 may include a variety of types of non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media, including, for example, read accessmemory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable memory(e.g., EPROM and EEPROM), or flash memory. The memory 1550 is configuredto store computer-readable instructions, sensor values, and otherpersistent software elements.

In this example, the processing circuitry 1548 is operable to readcomputer-readable instructions stored on the memory 1550. Thecomputer-readable instructions may adapt the processing circuitry 1548to perform the operations or functions described above with respect toFIGS. 1-10. The computer-readable instructions may be provided as acomputer-program product, software application, or the like.

The device 1500 may also include a battery 1558 that is configured toprovide electrical power to the components of the device 1500. Thebattery 1558 may include one or more power storage cells that are linkedtogether to provide an internal supply of electrical power. The battery1558 may be operatively coupled to power management circuitry that isconfigured to provide appropriate voltage and power levels forindividual components or groups of components within the device 1500.The battery 1558, via power management circuitry, may be configured toreceive power from an external source, such as an alternating currentpower outlet. The battery 1558 may store received power so that thedevice 1500 may operate without connection to an external power sourcefor an extended period of time, which may range from several hours toseveral days.

In some embodiments, the device 1500 also includes a display 1502 thatrenders visual information generated by the processing circuitry 1548.The display 1502 may include a liquid-crystal display, light-emittingdiode, organic light emitting diode display, organic electroluminescentdisplay, electrophoretic ink display, or the like. If the display 1502is a liquid-crystal display or an electrophoretic ink display, thedisplay may also include a backlight component that can be controlled toprovide variable levels of display brightness. If the display 1502 is anorganic light-emitting diode or organic electroluminescent type display,the brightness of the display 1502 may be controlled by modifying theelectrical signals that are provided to display elements.

In some embodiments, the device 1500 includes one or more input devices1560. The input device 1560 is a device that is configured to receiveuser input. The input device 1560 may include, for example, a pushbutton, a touch-activated button, or the like. In some embodiments, theinput devices 1560 may provide a dedicated or primary function,including, for example, a power button, volume buttons, home buttons,scroll wheels, and camera buttons. Generally, an input electrode mayalso be classified as an input component. However, for purposes of thisillustrative example, the input electrode 1506 is depicted as a distinctcomponent within the device 1500.

The device 1500 may also include a haptic actuator 1521. The hapticactuator 1521 may be implemented as described above, and may be aceramic piezoelectric transducer. The haptic actuator 1521 may becontrolled by the processing circuitry 1548, and may be configured toprovide haptic feedback to a user interacting with the device 1500.

The device 1500 may also include a communication port 1552 that isconfigured to transmit and/or receive signals or electricalcommunication from an external or separate device. The communicationport 1552 may be configured to couple to an external device via a cable,adaptor, or other type of electrical connector. In some embodiments, thecommunication port 1552 may be used to couple the device 1500 to a hostcomputer.

The device 1500 may also include a signal generator 1556. The signalgenerator 1556 may be operatively connected to the input electrode 1506and the haptic actuator 1521. The signal generator 1556 may transmitelectrical signals to the haptic actuator 1521 and the input electrode1506. The signal generator 1556 is also operatively connected to theprocessing circuitry 1548. The processing circuitry 1548 is configuredto control the generation of the electrical signals for the hapticactuator 1521 and the input electrode 1506. In some embodiments,distinct signal generators 1556 may be connected to the input electrode1506 and the haptic actuator 1521.

The memory 1550 can store electronic data that can be used by the signalgenerator 1556. For example, the memory 1550 can store electrical dataor content, such as timing signals, algorithms, and one or moredifferent electrical signal characteristics that the signal generator1556 can use to produce one or more electrical signals. The electricalsignal characteristics include, but are not limited to, an amplitude, aphase, a frequency, and/or a timing of an electrical signal. Theprocessing circuitry 1548 can cause the one or more electrical signalcharacteristics to be transmitted to the signal generator 1556. Inresponse to the receipt of the electrical signal characteristic(s), thesignal generator 1556 can produce an electrical signal that correspondsto the received electrical signal characteristic(s).

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the describedembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe specific details are not required in order to practice the describedembodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specificembodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustrationand description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit theembodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to oneof ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations arepossible in view of the above teachings.

For example, features implementing functions may also be physicallylocated at various positions, including being distributed such thatportions of functions are implemented at different physical locations.Also, as used herein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list ofitems prefaced by “at least one of” indicates a disjunctive list suchthat, for example, a list of “at least one of A, B, or C” means A or Bor C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Further, the term“exemplary” does not mean that the described example is preferred orbetter than other examples.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: a coverdefining an input surface; an input/output module positioned below thecover and comprising: a substrate defining a first surface and a secondsurface opposite the first surface; a row of input electrodes on thesubstrate and extending along a first direction, the row of inputelectrodes comprising: a first input electrode coupled to the firstsurface of the substrate; and a second input electrode coupled to thefirst surface of the substrate adjacent the first input electrode; acolumn of input electrodes on the substrate and extending along a seconddirection different from the first direction, the column of inputelectrodes comprising: the first input electrode; and a third inputelectrode coupled to the first surface of the substrate adjacent thefirst input electrode; and a piezoelectric element coupled to the secondsurface of the substrate and configured to cause a deflection of thecover in response to an actuation signal; and a processing circuitoperably coupled to the first, second and third input electrodes, andconfigured to: drive the first input electrode with a first electricalsignal during a first period of time; drive the first input electrodewith a second electrical signal during a second, non-overlapping periodof time; detect a touch on the input surface based on a capacitiveresponse to the first electrical signal during the first period of time;detect an amount of force of the touch based on a resistive response tothe second electrical signal during the second, non-overlapping periodof time, the resistive response resulting from a deformation of thefirst input electrode; and cause the actuation signal in response to atleast one of the detected touch or the detected amount of force.
 2. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein: in response to the actuationsignal, the piezoelectric element contracts along a first direction; andthe contraction along the first direction causes the deflection in thecover along a second direction that is transverse to the firstdirection.
 3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first,second and third input electrodes are formed from a piezoresistivematerial deposited on the substrate in a spiral pattern.
 4. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein: the touch forms a touchcapacitance between a touching object and the first and second inputelectrodes; and the touch capacitance causes a change in capacitancebetween the first and second input electrodes.
 5. The electronic deviceof claim 1, wherein: the cover comprises an opaque layer; the first,second and third input electrodes each comprise a metal; and thepiezoelectric element comprises an opaque material.
 6. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein: the cover is optically transparent; theinput/output module is optically transparent; and the electronic devicefurther comprises a display positioned below the input/output modulethat is viewable through the input/output module and the cover.
 7. Amethod of determining a location and an amount of force corresponding toa touch on an input surface of an electronic device, comprising: drivinga first input electrode with a drive signal, the first input electrodepositioned within a first row of multiple rows of input electrodes, eachrow of the multiple rows extending along a first direction on a surfaceof a substrate; monitoring a second input electrode for a capacitiveresponse to the drive signal resulting from the touch, the second inputelectrode positioned within the first row of the multiple rows of inputelectrodes and on the surface of the substrate; determining the locationcorresponding to the touch based on the capacitive response; monitoringthe first input electrode for a first resistive response to the drivesignal resulting from the touch, the first resistive response caused bya deformation of the first input electrode; monitoring the second inputelectrode for a second resistive response to the drive signal resultingfrom the touch, the second resistive response caused by deformation ofthe second input electrode; and determining a first amount of forcecorresponding to the touch based on the first resistive response and asecond amount of force corresponding to the touch based on the secondresistive response.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprisingactuating a piezoelectric element coupled to the substrate in responseto the amount of force exceeding a threshold.
 9. The method of claim 7,wherein: the monitoring the second input electrode for the capacitiveresponse occurs during a first period of time; the monitoring the firstinput electrode for the first resistive response occurs during a secondperiod of time; and the first period of time and the second period oftime at least partially overlap.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein themonitoring the second input electrode for the capacitive response occursduring a first period of time and the monitoring the first inputelectrode for the first resistive response occurs during a second,non-overlapping period of time.
 11. The method of claim 7, wherein: thedrive signal comprises a first waveform during a first time period and asecond waveform, different from the first waveform, during a second timeperiod; the monitoring the second input electrode for the capacitiveresponse occurs during the first time period; and the monitoring thefirst input electrode for the first resistive response occurs during thesecond time period.
 12. The method of claim 7, further comprisingactuating a piezoelectric element in response to the amount of forceexceeding a threshold, the actuating the piezoelectric elementcomprising: causing the piezoelectric element to change length along afirst direction; and the change in length along the first directioncausing a deflection of the input surface along a second direction thatis transverse to the first direction.
 13. An input device, comprising: acover defining an input surface external to the input device; asubstrate coupled to the cover and comprising a top surface facing thecover and a bottom surface opposite the top surface; a row of inputelectrodes on the top surface of the substrate and extending along afirst direction, the row of input electrodes comprising a first inputelectrode and a second input electrode; a column of input electrodes onthe top surface of the substrate and extending along a second directiondifferent from the first direction, the column of input electrodescomprising the first input electrode and a third input electrode; apiezoelectric element coupled to the bottom surface and configured tocause a deflection of the cover in response to an actuation signal; anda processing circuit operably coupled to the first, second and thirdinput electrodes and configured to detect a location of a touch on theinput surface and an amount of force corresponding to: drive the firstinput electrode with a first electrical signal during a first period oftime; drive the first input electrode with a second electrical signalduring a second, non-overlapping period of time; detect a touch on theinput surface based on a capacitive response to the first electricalsignal during the first period of time; and detect an amount of force ofthe touch based on a resistive response to the second electrical signalduring the second, non-overlapping period of time, the resistiveresponse resulting from a deformation of the first input electrode. 14.The input device of claim 13, wherein: the first input electrodecomprises a first set of parallel conductive traces; the second inputelectrode comprises a second set of parallel conductive traces; and thefirst and second input electrodes are each deposited on the substrate.15. The input device of claim 13, further comprising a conductive layerdeposited on the bottom surface wherein the piezoelectric element iscoupled to a bottom of the conductive layer.
 16. The input device ofclaim 15, wherein: the conductive layer comprises an array of conductivepads; and a bottom of the piezoelectric element is coupled to a flexiblecircuit layer.
 17. The input device of claim 15, wherein: the conductivelayer comprises an array of conductive pads; and the piezoelectricelement is electrically coupled to two conductive pads of the array ofconductive pads.
 18. The input device of claim 17, wherein thepiezoelectric element is coupled to the array of conductive pads by ananisotropic conductive film.